


Don't Fear The Reaper

by tmwillson3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1970s, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Creepy Snoke (Star Wars), Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Foot Fetish, Force Bond (Star Wars), Gun Violence, Inspired by The Shape of Water (2017), Mention of blood, Minor Violence, Monster Kylo Ren, Monster sex, Muteness, Nonverbal Communication, Secret Relationship, Unwanted Advances, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 14:28:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 49,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20622545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: Rey had always felt pretty alone working at First Order Sciences.  All of that changed the day the lab's owner, Richard Snoke, brought in his newest research project: the sea monster called Kylo.  When she pursues a friendship with Kylo, both of their lives are forever changed.





	1. At the Water's Edge

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything. For a long time now, I've wanted to write a Shape of Water AU for Reylo, and I finally found the perfect opportunity. If you have or have not seen the movie, it doesn't matter as it's a loose version of it. Blue Oyster Cult's song "(Don't Fear) the Reaper" and Lady Gaga's "Shallow" were on repeat when I wrote this, which is what the setting of the story, lyrics, and chapter titles are all inspired by.
> 
> Check out this awesome moodboard made by the mods:
> 
> Thank you to all the wonderful mods who organize, help, edit, and do everything. You are all amazing. Thank you also to the two people who beta'd this for me, sunshineflying and wayofthepathfinder. Show them lots of love! They've been super helpful. Finally, thank you to all the ladies in the Reylo chat group who have encouraged me throughout the writing process. You saw through that month when I wrote most of this story. 

_ “All our times have come. _

_ Here but now they're gone. _

_ Seasons don't fear the reaper, _

_ Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain.” _

The breeze was gentle and light, a welcome relief to the hot, humid day surrounding Rey. It wasn't sticky enough that she wanted to hide inside an ice box, just hot enough that she loved every second outside while the sun warmed her skin and melted the chocolate ice cream to which Finn had treated her. The sun was blinding in its midday brightness, casting golden light flakes upon every bit of water contained within the harbor, making the whole inner harbor shimmer and sparkle in place. It was so bright, even the large, wooden boats had small glimmers reflecting off them. The sky was cloudless and blue, the kind of pastel, baby blue that put everyone at peace when they saw it.

It was a beautiful summer day in Baltimore. 

"Where do you want to sit, Rey?"

Finn's kind concern made her smile even more. He was her closest friend and neighbor; they lived above an old theater called the Orpheum. Both were alone, and they had bonded as a result - but only after she had accused him of stealing a missing record of hers. A few days after finding her missing record, she stood up to Plutt when her landlord accused Finn of being a thief; Finn forgave her quickly because he knew how much she hovered outside his door to listen to him play his guitar and piano. 

Any listener nearby could be swept away night after night by booming melodies with foot-tapping rhythms emanating from Finn's apartment. Rey was mesmerized whenever Finn lost himself in his music, bright eyes and a broad smile in place. When he had an audience, he read them well and played to them, his beat matching the energy around him to draw others in before ramping things up. Finn loved Rey's energy; she had an endless supply and enthusiasm to match. Once he discovered that she couldn't talk, he learned sign language, and she gained a new appreciation for all the music that Finn loved, and an appreciation for Finn, as well. 

Today was a special day for Finn. One of his new favorite groups, Blue Oyster Cult, just released a new album, and he was itching to show it to Rey. He kept telling her how this one song in particular was their best song yet.

_ "They're playing it down by the inner harbor. Someone has brought out the vinyl, along with all of their older stuff. Come with me, Rey! I'll buy you ice cream." _

That had been all the encouragement Rey had needed; food. She loved music, too, but she was always a little hesitant to go out into society for fear of how others treated her. Not all were as accommodating as Finn about her being mute, nor as understanding. 

However, she didn't see his skin color and Bob Marley-inspired hair as a barrier as others did. It only drew her and Finn closer together because he understood what it was like to be ignored by society, despite all the legislative changes. She also poked fun at his messy locks, but he took it well. Unkar Plutt didn't care who lived above his theater, so long as they paid rent. It gave Finn, a musician and artist, enough space to practice, and Rey loved to smile and tap her feet to the beat while he practiced his instruments.

All around them, people explored the outdoors, making the most of the summer day on the promenade and plaza around the water. Not far away, open two-seaters and sports cars drove leisurely along the road, admiring the view and showcasing the muscle. Children ran on the cobbled plaza pavements, shouting and playing games, and adults stood and watched the children, admiring the water from their periphery. Had it been the Fourth of July, there would've been historic ships dotting the coastline in honor of the United States’ bicentennial. The harbor had been  _ packed  _ then, but Finn managed to find a secluded spot to watch all the festivities and fireworks. 

The water’s calm lapping and  _ plup plup _ as it hit the dock edges was enough for Rey; she had always held a fascination for the water since a young age. She loved all excuses to explore the small world in which she existed - never leaving Baltimore except for work - but she knew she would always have trouble leaving her home. The thought of leaving the water's edge, of leaving the old friend that was constant and never left her no matter what season it was, was impossible to imagine. Even in winter, the water had a special quality to it, duller under the cloudy, winter skies and violent in storms, completely covering boats with icicles and tossing smaller ships like toys.

"How about this bench?" asked Finn, swiping invisible crumbs off of an empty, wooden bench. 

It was removed from the rest of the crowd, a little quieter. Here, the seagulls’ caws were louder, and Rey could smell the salty sea and fish more clearly. It gave a breathtaking view of the water as the harbor curved and went toward the bay, the harbor a slim strip of gleaming blue in comparison as it fed into the Patapsco River. It was huge, and it made Rey feel small. 

On stormy days, she felt tiny while she watched the winds whip by and knock things over. The sea crashed angrily against the dock, splashing all who dared come close. The water was wild with a mind of its own, and Rey loved to watch it in all its seasons. Now was still her favorite time, though. The water was warm and inviting, and had there been no bench available, she would have kicked off her shoes and happily dipped her feet in the water.

Instead, she sat and enjoyed her ice cream. Finn slowly ate his vanilla, but she always devoured hers. Despite Finn’s efforts, her lifelong starvation fear remained. 

"The guy with the music should be here soon. You're going to love this song," enthused Finn, eyes sparkling. "It's all about love, something I know we both struggle with."

Rey rolled her eyes at his mentioning their lack of love lives. They saw each other as brother and sister, the family they never had growing up. Finn would tease her and stand up for her when people at the grocery store picked on her, and she told him to get haircuts and encouraged his artistic endeavors. His was a world full of art, music, and new places to explore each week while he wandered from bar to bar, looking for a place to play piano or guitar. 

When the two finished their ice cream cones, they walked along the water's edge, occasionally stopping to admire the water or splash one another. When Finn spotted an old, short, wrinkled man in green, he dragged Rey over to listen. 

"So the song is called  _ (Don't Fear) The Reaper _ . Listen to that opening riff and tell me if you don't think it sounds totally rad just from hearing that," said Finn as they stood at the dock’s edge. "What's better is that it says your name within the song."

He winked at her, and her face lit up before she clapped her hands excitedly. She focused all her attention on the new song playing on someone's portable record player. Soon, Rey was grinning and nodding at Finn as she heard the opening chords, and she didn't stop until the end of the song. 

That was when she stomped her foot with a pout and signed, "My name is  _ not _ in the song."

"Sure it is," said Finn, asking the guy to play the song again. "You're just not listening to it right. C'mon."

He held out a hand, inviting her to dance with him. He couldn't dance to save his life, but he loved swaying with Rey. She always made the most of it. As the song played again, Finn sang along, already knowing most of the words. 

"All our times have come. Here but now they're gone."

He spun Rey around, and soon others were alongside them, dancing with partners to the music. When it got to a certain part of the song, Finn pulled Rey back in and winked at her. She leaned in to listen as he sang, "Come on, Re-ey, don't fear the reaper - hey!"

He stopped twirling her when she elbowed him. She was quick to sign, "Those aren't the words!"

"They are now. It's a groovy song, Rey. I just get the feeling that this song is going to be a huge hit, an important song to come," said Finn, pulling her back to him. 

After the song ended, they listened to the rest of the album, and Finn made commentary about how good it was, especially  _ Tattoo Vampire _ . Rey listened attentively and danced with him until she was tired and ready for her last meal of the day. 

Picking up a quick bite from a local restaurant by the water, the two walked home long before the sun set. Finn kept insisting that the sunsets were far superior on the west coast, where he came from, but Rey was happy with what she got, the swaths of red and orange painting the sky between the clouds as the day descended into night. She was usually in bed long before sunset on work nights since she had the midnight shift at First Order Sciences, a government-funded laboratory. 

When it was still dark, Rey began her daily routine. Every evening, she woke up from a restful sleep on her ancient sofa; it was barely long enough to fit her sleeping form, but softened through years of use to the perfect comfort level. After a quick bath, she combed and dried her hair before arranging it in her preferred three buns. She had been found with three buns on the back of her head, and she had maintained that style ever since, never trying any of the new styles that her best friend and others liked. Besides, having her hair held back meant that there was no chance of getting it dirty while she worked. 

In her striped yellow wallpaper kitchen, she boiled several eggs on her scavenged, beat-up, thirdhand stove, and watched the evening news on her tiny, black and white TV screen while she finished making the rest of her lunch. When she made her way out, she usually dropped off a little gift at Finn's room down the rickety hallway. Neither could afford better than Plutt’s ramshackle offerings, the heating and air conditioning normally broken and no damper of sound between them and the movie screens below. But, it was home, and they made the most of the small areas they did have. 

After saying goodbye to Finn, Rey made her way to the bus stop. In a way, she was glad to have such an early shift at the lab, as the bus was always empty on the hour-long commute to work. That evening, the air was cooler and the sky darker due to all the clouds and rain that had suddenly decided to fall as soon as she left her home. As she turned her head to avoid the dismal scene devoid of all but farmlands and clouds, Finn's song of the day came back with stunning clarity, as it often did when it was catchy.

She really liked the song, but she couldn’t help wondering if Finn was actually right about its focus. Sure, it mentioned love, but the title and words in her mind seemed to indicate that the song was more about death and how she shouldn’t fear it, or at least the reaper. 

The problem was that she was deeply afraid to die. 

She always had been, ever since she had been found on a river bank as a toddler with cuts on the sides of her neck. She had survived that encounter somehow, and she had kept on going, even when everyone ignored or avoided her growing up. To die now or early seemed crazy after coming as far as she had. In her mind, there was only one thing that could make her willing to die: love. If something ever happened to Finn, she knew she would do everything in her power to save him. One day, she hoped to find a different kind of love, the kind Finn and the song talked about. Romeo and Juliet were willing to die for love; she wanted that kind of love as well, something that swept her up and consumed her, just like the sea waves did.

The problem was that she wasn’t sure how she would ever find it. 

Her musings and toe-tapping were interrupted when she arrived at her workplace. The gigantic, white, state-of-the-art building situated in the middle of nowhere loomed ahead of her as she got off the bus and showed her special identification to get into the maximum-security lab. All the best government contracts were researched and developed there, and they paid decently for their cleaning help, which was what she and her friend did.

When she got inside, her best friend, Rose Tico, waved excitedly. “Come on, girl! I saved you a spot next to me. Over here, quickly.”

“Are you letting that mute girl cut in line  _ again?” _ asked the crabby blonde with a shag haircut behind Rose. “Go to the back of the line, dummy.” 

“Shut it, Phasma. Not all of us are secretaries for His High-and-Mighty the Insufferable Hux to afford a car like you can,” sassed Rose, glancing at Phasma briefly before hugging Rey. “It’s good to see you. I was getting worried you were going to clock in late.”

Rey shook her head and signed her thanks as the two girls punched in their time cards just before ten. As they walked away from the platinum blonde, Rose whispered to Rey, “Phasma’s probably just upset that Hux isn’t banging her right now like he used to. I blame the new girl, Bazine, for that. At least now we know what his type is: blondes with short hair.” After that, they proceeded to their lockers to put on their uniforms and grab their cleaning supplies. 

Rey traded in her hip-hugger jeans, white billowing-sleeved shirt, and cape for a fitted, blue blouse and jumper - the uniform that all the help had to wear. She and Rose had both learned long ago to wear black Mary Janes to work, as they were much more comfortable over the course of a long day on the go than the platform heels that others like Phasma sported regularly. Rose pinned back her long, black hair before ditching her blouse and jeans to put on the uniform. The multiple sweaters she always wore from being cold were always wrapped around her waist, ready to put on the moment she started to shiver.

“Why is Bazine here?” signed Rey as they walked down an immaculate hallway on the basement level of the lab.

“I don’t know, actually. I think someone new is coming to work here, and she’s his secretary. The problem is that she has been tight-lipped since she arrived, and she has already managed to wrap Hux around her little, black-and-white striped nails,” commented Rose. “I can’t wait for those two girls to duke it out.”

Rey just shook her head at the dramatics. Rose was always ready to jump into a fight, and Rey was always the one getting her out of scrapes, literally and figuratively. 

“I can’t believe I’ve already been here five years, Rey. You’ve been here what, seven?” asked Rose as they stopped in front of the biggest door on the bottom level, the door to the Green Room. 

Rey nodded and smiled warmly as they entered the code to open the door and wheel in their carts. This cavernous, green room was their first room to clean every day, and today, they had been requested to get there even faster than normal. They quickly found out why. Inside, people were scrambling left and right, a large pool of water having magically materialized, along with items strewn all over the floor in the people’s hurry to prepare something that neither lady was aware of. 

“What is this? A community pool?” Rose yelled as she surveyed the mess. To Rey, she said more softly, “With our luck, Hux is going to come by soon and blame us for all this. Let’s get going before he docks our pay.”

They got to work at once, weaving around the frantic scientists and engineers until the door opened again, admitting Armitage Hux, the head of security and most feared man in the building. He was everywhere, watching everything while he walked around and surveyed all the video cameras. Rey always felt a little icky in his presence, as though he was just as slimy as his gelled, red hair. He stepped into the room like he owned the place before clearing his throat.

“I demand a moment of your time. I’m finally going to give you the big news you’ve all been wanting to hear,” he said, looking like a proud monarch. 

A hush came over the room, and Hux preened under the attention. Patting the side of his hair back and tugging down on his black jacket, he straightened himself up to his full height - which really wasn’t all that impressive compared to Rey, so she avoided standing too close to him lest he yell at her - and made the big announcement.

“Today we are receiving a new team and asset here in Sector 12. We have a visiting scientist from Naboo University, Dopheld Mitaka, who will be assisting our Starkiller Team.” Hux motioned toward the doorway as a scared young man waved nervously and moved into the shadows. Soon after, Hux cleared his throat once more, looking pleased with himself. “As you know, Bazine Netal joined us at the end of last week in order to pave the way for our distinguished lab’s owner, Richard Snoke.”

“I can already tell he’s going to be a dick with a name like that,” whispered Rose to Rey, making her smile.

Hux glared at Rose a moment for taking her eyes off him before he continued. “With two PhDs and three master’s degrees, he’s the most learned being on this earth, truly a god among men. He also comes from Texas, where everything is bigger and better, just as he is. His appetite to solve the world’s problems has no limits so that all will bow to the ingenuity of our great order here, solidifying us as the scientific leaders of the whole world.”

Hux paused for a breath as Rose rolled her eyes at Rey. Rey nodded in agreement at Hux’s delusions of grandeur. 

When he was ready, he continued, “He has been exploring the seven seas in search of a mythical beast, one that could become the answer to all our modern medical mysteries. After many years of searching, he finally captured his prize deep in the Amazon rainforest. Everything will change once Snoke has examined, tamed, and dissected this violent beast - this  _ thing _ , our new asset. Beware of this room going forward, for it shall be housed in here, in this pool that you’re setting up. Prepare yourself for something truly horrifying.”

“He clearly hasn’t looked at his hair recently,” muttered Rose, making Rey smile again. “I wonder how he’d look with a fro or mutton chops?”

Rey considered how much she liked Finn’s afro from three years ago, and she felt a wheeze coming on from imagining Hux with an afro of red, slightly curly hair. She compounded the image by making the sign for a mullet as Hux turned to open the door once more, making Rose bury her face in Rey’s shoulder to prevent laughing out loud. Hux then turned back to them and stepped forward, a new gleam in his eyes as he bowed to the newcomer.

“I present to you our esteemed leader, Richard Snoke.”

“Thank you,” said a gravelly voice that had smoked too many cigarettes. “I’m pleased to finally return with a prize worthy of my time and study. This thing will make all of us rich, not to mention invincible because of all that it can do. Just imagine: with its bloodline such raw, untamed power that soon we, too, can possess.”

Rey shivered upon seeing Snoke up close. He was tall and sickly pale, almost shriveled in his appearance, with his bald head and long, skinny fingers that gripped a long metal pole tightly. Where Hux had no facial hair, only his slicked-back hair that didn’t follow the popular fashion of looking overgrown, Snoke had a pencil-thin line of a black mustache that looked as well-groomed as Hux’s hair. Hux was admiring the man and mustache openly, no doubt planning to copy the look, and Snoke seemed a little less like death when he puffed out his chest with pride from within his black suit. He raised his hands and voice theatrically.

“Gather closely as I tell you of the perilous journey I made to bring back this beastly thing, our newest asset.”

Rey and others listened with interest as he spun a fantastic tale of sudden, blinding storms that were conjured to stop him from reaching the beast, of bloodthirsty cannibals that tried to kill him and his companions, resulting in only his survival, and of the long chase and struggle it took to finally capture the awful beast. Rey and everyone else were petrified of the thing before it was even seen, even if Rey felt bad for the beast every time that Snoke labeled it a thing or called it ugly.

For so many years, mean kids and spiteful adults had called her a thing and ugly, or deformed and stupid. When she heard anyone else get called such things she immediately felt compassion and tried to become their friend, so that they could stand together. Not everyone welcomed her, but Finn and Rose had. 

Finn had been her first true friend, and Rose had appreciated her cool head in the face of heated, angry words. Rose had quickly learned sign language and became Rey’s spokeswoman at work, after she had suffered two years in silence. Rey kept hoping to introduce Rose and Finn to one another, but the opportunity never worked out for both of them at the same time since Rose often spent time with her sister and brother-in-law, Paige and Poe, along with their child. Finn often went to visit his foster mother, Maz Kanata. He was visiting her more often, ever since she had developed dementia five years earlier. She was unfortunately getting worse, having suffered a stroke the year before. 

“They say this beast is a god from the way they worship him, that he can heal people miraculously, even raise people from the dead. They say it is so ugly because its soul is blacker than anyone; it eats human sacrifices within the Amazon. They say one touch from this thing will kill you instantly, but I am  _ not  _ afraid. I've already touched his skin, and as you can see, I'm standing before you, stronger than ever. I  _ will  _ conquer this beast so that all of you may benefit from the future discoveries his body holds. I present to you, the beast called Kylo!”

With a sweep of his hands, a large, metallic, coffin-like tank with a glass lid was wheeled into the room, and all stood back as the coffin was stopped near the pool. As Snoke and Hux discussed security measures to protect the public from Kylo, Rose listened intently to see if they would need extra clearance to clean, taking note of the fact that Snoke wanted to head security now, too, while he was experimenting there. 

Further away, Rey wandered over to the coffin, curious about Kylo, the supposedly ugly, black beast that would be housed there for the foreseeable future. When she was close, she heard a soft howl, as though the creature was moaning in sadness. She felt compassion for him at once. 

Not wanting him to feel alone in the forbidding coffin wrapped in chains, she tapped her right index finger against the glass softly with a shy smile on her face, to try to encourage it. After tapping three times, she saw Kylo’s face for just a moment as his eyes took in her hopeful, warm smile. Then, his face and body slammed against the coffin’s top, shaking the container as bellows and loud yowls rang out. All eyes were on Rey and the new asset immediately, the sound of nails on a chalkboard mixed in with something deeper, more threatening. 

“Get her away from it!” ordered Snoke, scaring everyone by his ferocity.

Soon, she was being dragged from the asset by Rose while Hux pushed everyone out of the room. Mitaka observed Kylo’s behavior to see how he reacted to others, while Snoke reflected on Rey's curiosity and how unafraid she seemed. He sighed, determined to speak to Rey regarding the asset in the future, to ensure that she didn’t get close to it again lest the experiment be compromised. He admired her spirit and lack of fear; however, it was too dangerous.

As the doors closed on Snoke, Hux, and Mitaka, Rey remained shaken by her brief interaction with Kylo. Based on what little she saw of his eyes, she was less inclined to believe that Kylo was lonely; however, she had a feeling that he was used to much cruelty, which could make anyone lash out. 

“Rey!” hissed Rose as they walked away. “What were you thinking?”

Rey signed, “I wanted to keep him company, to show him that he wasn’t alone.”

“He’s a monster, not a human being,” said Rose with her hands on her hips. “What do you hope to gain by doing that?”

“His trust and his happiness,” replied Rey, making Rose sigh and look at the ceiling.

“You’re going to get in trouble that way, and I won’t be able to help you. Stay away from that beast, alright? I don’t want you to get hurt. You heard what Snoke said,” said Rose, shivering with distaste while mentioning Snoke. “He’s dangerous; though I think he looks better than Snoke. He’s old, withered like death, and  _ super  _ creepy. We need a nickname for him so we don’t alert The Insufferable Hux that we’re talking about him. What do you think?”

Immediately inspired by the song she had just heard, Rey brought her right hand in front of and across her lips, moving toward her right arm before bringing both hands down vertically and then placing her left hand horizontally underneath her right hand, as though cupping something. Then, her right hand flexed inward, as though squeezing something. Then, she used her left hand like a sleeve, moving the hands in tandem so that the right hand switched between poking up and down twice until she brought the right hand up to her mouth, as though saying she tasted something.

Rose stared at her, confused and not recognizing the word, so Rey spelled the word “reaper” out. When she was done, Rose’s mouth made a small “O” of surprise before grinning with satisfaction. 

“That’s perfect, Rey! We have an angel of death among us. He certainly looks like death. All he needs is a black hood and robes to go with his electric cattle prod, and he’s all set.”

Rey suggested he wear golden robes instead to match the golden teeth and rings he wore, making Rose laugh. 

“Sure, Rey. That works, too. Let’s go have some lunch.”

All throughout lunch, Rey wondered about Kylo. Who was he? Did he have a family? Was he the only one of his kind, like she seemed to be? 

She wished she were better at drawing. Kylo was actually a stunning creature based on her brief glimpse of him. He seemed to have dark, almost black eyes with blue irises when he moved toward her. He looked more amphibious with the shape of his limbs, with fins and gills on either side of his face and webbed hands. His naked body showed his trunk to be more human-like, with a defined chest and arms and legs, and his eyes captured her attention at once. She felt a kinship with Kylo that she couldn’t explain after that first encounter, and she knew she would see him again. As she ate her eggs at lunch, she wondered if he would enjoy eggs as well. Thus occupied, she went about the rest of her day, her mind far more engaged than normal. 

"I can't wait to go home and tell Paige about this. She's going to eat it up! This is such juicy news," said Rose when she punched out for the day.

Rey nodded, not surprised that Rose was going to tell her sister. She told Paige everything, and inevitably, Poe found out as a result since he was married to Paige. Rey thought both of them were nice people from the various times she had met them throughout the years. 

When she left work, she had a huge smile on her face and a new spring in her step. New things were happening, and she was looking forward to what was to come. As she leaned her head against the bus window to sleep, she tapped her foot to the song still stuck in her head until her mind was quiet. She enjoyed the sunrise that was starting to peek its way through the clouds, bright specks of yellow light dotting the sky between the dark blue clouds until sunlight bathed her in its golden glow, the sun not quite able to match the glow of excitement that filled Rey as she prepared for the days ahead.


	2. Testing the Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey keeps getting warned not to go near Kylo, but it doesn't work the way it should.

_ “Valentine is done _

_ Here but now they're gone _

_ Romeo and Juliet _

_ Are together in eternity…” _

  
  


"Ooh, look at us! Cobalt Squadron clearance, the highest here," exclaimed Rose as she and Rey picked up their new badges from Hux's office.

"Our Supreme Leader wants as few people in the asset's room as possible. Since you two have already been in there, he's decided that you'll be the only two cleaning it. Of course, that means that you'll be expected to keep it ship-shape, perfect for our leader," said Hux nasally from behind his sleek, chrome desk.

Rey nodded as Rose replied, "Of course. It'll be the cleanest room in the building."

"Very good. I expect you to keep the Starkiller team happy. You are dismissed," said Hux, waving them out. 

"He's such a phony. He has no power anymore," muttered Rose, dissatisfied with the assignment. 

The women made their way to their buckets and carts before beginning their duties. Rey volunteered to sweep and mop the area near Kylo's pool, and Rose cleaned everywhere else, very afraid of the thing that seemed to howl at odd intervals.

Rey couldn't help but notice that he tended to quiet down the moment he saw her, though. She heard him as she walked in, his roar slightly muffled by the water. 

After that, she wasn't sure what he did while she cleaned. She would signal Rose to hand her a mop frequently if he splashed water while she was using a broom. Rose didn't like doing that, but it was better than being close to him all the time. Sometimes, Rey would spy cigarette ashes on the floor, and she worried that Snoke was hurting Kylo with cigarettes since they were always so close to the pool and the odd-looking pedestal that had chains on top of it. 

The Green Room was painted the typical pea green of the day, with bright lights and video cameras filling the room’s top edge. The room covered one-quarter of the basement floor, its ceiling at least thirty feet high. Before Kylo had arrived, there were four laboratories attached to it, two on each side through four of the five doors in the room. The last door led to the service tunnel, and only Rose and Rey had its key. The other four doors were kept locked. Mitaka and Snoke possessed the only keys to those clean, obscenely white rooms that Rose envied and desperately wanted to explore. Rey had no desire to wear the giant white suits required for entry, so she stuck to the gadgetry and green panels that lined the walls on all sides. Those panels were a scientist's dream. Alarms, transmitters, red and green buttons, red levers, and various measuring instruments with needles and paper readouts covered the panels, all of it carefully protected with clear plastic covers, labelled properly, and dusted clean daily. 

When Kylo moved in, the back paneled wall was covered in heavy blankets and secured before piping and a pool were installed over the course of a week. Once, the lab had smelled fusty with a slight tinge of bleach. Now it smelled like salt water and whatever green salts they dumped into the water. The final addition had been the pedestal and chains, and Rey didn't want to know what those were used for in the scientific method. She feared that the chains were used on Kylo.

As the days went by, she'd hear him make even more noises as she passed the room to clean other areas. Sometimes it sounded like a plaintive cry, as though he were missing home or calling out to more of his kind. Those were the moments that she wanted to abandon her job and go to him, to comfort him.

Other times, she heard Snoke's disconcerting voice or the electrical zap of his cattle prod, usually followed by a loud bellow of pain. In those moments, Rey wanted to free Kylo from his pain and break him out of his prison.

To make up for it, she kept up a smile whenever she was near Kylo, always trying to sneak a peek of him, whether he was inside the large pool or in the tank that had been turned on its side so that the glass door on top now acted as an actual door. Another metal door on the bottom of the tank latched and locked onto one end of the pool. Kylo rarely appeared when Rey and Rose were in there together, but one day, Rose was asked to step out to handle something that came up next door. As soon as she was gone, Rey glanced at the tank's glass door and noticed that Kylo's head was peeking out, face unreadable. He seemed content to just watch her, his webbed hands resting against the edges of the glass. 

She was about to go over to him when he suddenly vanished, and she heard footsteps behind her. When she looked back, she found herself face-to-face with the assistant scientist.

"Hello. Who are you? I'm Mitaka, visiting scientist here," he said, holding out a shaky hand.

Rey smiled and shook his hand. He looked at her, confused for a second until Rose came back in, hearing a new voice.

"She can't answer you, I'm afraid. She's mute. Her name is Rey. I'm Rose, by the way."

"I see," said Mitaka, new eyes taking in Rey. "Very well. I take it you're the help. I'll stay out of your way. Just don't touch him, please."

"You call it a him?" asked Rose, looking stricken.

"He is a male, yes, so I'm going to call him just that. He's a beautiful, wild creature, one that should be studied extensively and allowed to roam free," said Mitaka, eyes far away. He recollected himself quickly before cautioning them, "You could treat him like any other pet if you wanted to, only he's much more dangerous than most pets. Not many can swipe at you and cause you to bleed out just like that. You should avoid him." 

"We will. Don't worry," said Rose, speaking for both and putting Mitaka at ease before he went back to analyzing blood samples and other tests done on Kylo. "Also, if anything on these panels breaks, you can ask the techs or us for help. We're usually pretty handy."

"You are?" asked Mitaka, shocked.

"Of course. We've worked here a long time and helped the techs plenty," said Rose, getting indignant. 

All the technicians who normally worked in the Green Room loved the girls. The two of them often came in right after a dust cover or something had broken off. Often, Rey or Rose had a quick solution until a new part could be bought, and they carried the right tools within their cleaning supplies carts. Rey pulled out a flathead screwdriver and screw for the plastic cover that Mitaka held in his hand just as an example.

"What's that for?" queried Mitaka, observing her carefully.

"All the covers in this place need the same type and size of screw. We carry extras on us at all times. She's offering it to you so you can fix it, silly," said Rose. "Well, are you going to take it or not? Do you  _ want  _ Snoke to come in and yell at you for breaking his equipment?"

"No-no, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am," stumbled Mitaka, shamefaced as he took the offered tools. "Sorry, ladies." With that, he hurried to the broken equipment in question. 

"Finally. Let's get out of here and away from that thing. I wouldn't want to help that thing anyway," said Rose, shaking her head. "Who would?"

Rey kept her head down and desires to reach out to him to herself. All those cautions to avoid Kylo made her want to go to him more. He was so alone; if she were stuck like that, she would want someone to visit her as well. 

It didn't help that she saw herself in him more and more. No one paid him any mind, even when he was making a racket. He was just a curiosity, an ugly thing left alone, just like her. She didn't like Rose's response to him, but she saw no way to convince Rose yet. She would leave things as they were.

That all changed, though, the following week. 

For those first two weeks, she and Rose would see Snoke at odd intervals. Sometimes, they would come in just as he was finishing a "session" with Kylo, the yelps and roars hard to listen to - at least for Rey. The first time Rey had walked in on a session, Kylo had been there, but it was only for a moment. He disappeared quickly, as though hiding his shame, and every time after that, Kylo was nowhere to be found. Snoke always stood tall and proud, cattle prod in hand as he surveyed the turquoise water. His creepy smile of satisfaction gave Rey nightmares. Rose had other ways to describe him.

"I swear that Reaper gets off on the power trip. He probably just found the beast so that he'd have an excuse to torture something without being yelled at for doing it. I hear they haven't found anything so far."

Rey signed that Snoke was a predator, someone evil. Rose nodded. Both had heard how Bazine and Phasma had both shown up in long sleeves to work after spending time outside work with Snoke, even though it was the middle of summer. He blew up at anyone who questioned his motives or ideas, such as Mitaka. 

On days that they worked while Snoke was in there, Mitaka often worked as well. They witnessed Mitaka questioning Snoke's methods on several occasions, and Snoke called him every name under the sun in response, telling how he was an idiot and lower than dirt for saying such things. Then, he would straighten up and smile at the ladies, attempting to seem pleasant. Rose smiled back with a fake smile, and Rey kept her head down, not wanting him to see how much she hated and judged him for saying such things. 

Elsewhere in the lab, stories about Snoke circulated. If he wasn't working, he was taking a smoke break outside, complaining about everything. He called his workers incompetent frequently, even Hux on occasion. Rose and many others loved watching Hux get roasted by Snoke with colorful names for him like “rabid cur” and “pussy ginger”.

"I swear, Hux picks the strangest people to idolize. Why on earth would he want to act and be like the Reaper?" asked Rose, utterly confused. "Mustaches are so  _ not _ his thing."

Rey agreed. Hux had started trying to grow a thin mustache, just like Snoke. The problem was that it looked like he had a red, fluffy caterpillar growing above his upper lip. Rey was waiting for Hux to attempt to shave off all his hair to match Snoke; he had already started shaving off the sides of his hair in preparation. 

“But, if it makes him feel like his fearless leader, then let him imagine that he and his mustache are together in eternity, to always emulate the worst of humanity,” finished Rose before going back to mopping.

It was a few days after Hux had been most recently roasted that Rey and Rose ran into Snoke as they left the men's restroom. How all those learned men managed to miss the toilet constantly was inconceivable to both ladies, but especially Rose.

"I can't believe it. Some of the best minds in the country are peeing all over the floor. After everything that Paige tells me of how well she's trained Poe to hit the mark every time-"

"How do you know that?" interrupted Rey.

"Well, if I'm going to tell Paige everything, then it's only natural she tells me all the funny, juicy things about her marriage and her little boy. Poe is such a doting father and husband-"

"You've mentioned that a few times," signed Rey, used to hearing the praises of Poe, the great protector who put his family and its safety first.

"Yes. And since Paige often cleans the bathroom, she just tells him how much her back hurts cleaning up his mess. Add in that he wants to set a good example for his son, and he never misses."

"I wish these men were the same way," signed Rey, sighing.

"Hello, ladies. Don't let me stop you from having your chat while you work," said Snoke, opening the door to the restroom but stopping to address Rey. "You may want to stick around for a moment, though. I'll be needing a towel."

He took a white towel off the top of the pile that Rey was carrying, and his greasy, wrinkled hands touched her arm, immediately making her want to vomit. He leered at her as she turned around. 

"Nice buns, honey," remarked Snoke before heading inside the restroom.

"Where's the bleach?" signed Rey as soon as he was gone.

"The nerve! I hate him," whispered Rose, hugging Rey. "I'm sorry he did that. His eyes were  _ everywhere _ ."

Rey cringed and touched her three buns with her clean hand, not wanting what had touched Snoke to touch anything else. It was bad enough that he smelled like cigarettes and coffee and had the yellowest teeth she had ever seen; having  _ whatever  _ was on his bony fingers on her made her want to peel off her skin. 

When the two pulled apart, Rey told her friend, "I don't want to wear my buns anymore."

"Oh, sweetie, don't listen to him. He's just a creepy old man who wants to taint everything he touches. He's the Reaper, remember? Ignore him," shushed Rose. "Here are some wipes for your hands."

As soon as Rey reached to clean off her arm, she noticed several spots of red.

“He’s bleeding!” she signed, wiping it off. “Whose is it?”

“I hope it’s his, rather than that thing’s blood,” said Rose right before Snoke left the bathroom, looking smug. 

"Have a nice day now, ladies."

Both nodded respectfully at him until he stood in front of Rey again. She didn't shrink back, her eyes unable to hide the fire of disgust she held for him. Lucky for her, Snoke misinterpreted the look.

"Such a spitfire you are, not the least bit afraid of me. If you ever need a new job, come find me. I think we could work well together, if you know what I mean," he said, hooking a finger under her chin. 

She stared straight ahead, holding back all feelings of revulsion and her desire to punch him. Instead, she called him a dick, smiling that he couldn't understand her. 

"What was that?" asked Snoke, looking at both ladies with a condescending smile. 

"Rey's mute. She uses sign language to speak. She said that she … appreciated your offer," said Rose with her best pasted-on smile to hide her laughter.

"Interesting. Come visit me tomorrow, the both of you," he said in response before walking off. "Hux never mentioned that and should have. He is annoying, though useful. Until tomorrow."

Rey gave him a middle finger when he turned a corner, and Rose patted Rey's back. "Look at my sweet, innocent Rey, growing up and calling evil people bad names and using the middle finger all in the same day. What'll happen next?"

"He better not touch me again," said Rey, her fingers flying. 

"He probably will. Just hang in there, Rey. He'll be gone before you know it. His attention constantly changes anyway," said Rose, trying to comfort her by patting her back.

Rey sighed and mentally prepared herself for visiting Snoke for the rest of the day and at home that night. It didn't help when she walked with Rose the next day to see Snoke. 

“You’re almost late. He’s up the stairs behind me, dummies,” said an insolent blonde with a pageboy hairstyle. 

“Bazine, has anyone ever told you that you’re special?” asked Rose too sweetly as the pair of women trudged up the stainless steel steps.

“Yes. Richard has told me that multiple times,” said a prim Bazine, patting her hair.

“I meant besides in bed,” muttered Rose before adding more loudly, “That’s because he didn’t want to call you stupid.”

They closed the door with matching satisfied grins at seeing Bazine’s shocked look, only for that amusement to die a quick death when they saw Snoke standing and tapping his foot impatiently. He relented and gave a predatory grin that made Rey feel grosser than ever, despite having rubbed herself raw in the bath earlier. Rose seemed ready, though her attitude was more to just get it done as soon as possible. Both women sat down, and Snoke peered at both with calculating eyes, their entire employment history laid out in front of him in two folders. When both were settled in the too-small, hard, metal chairs that scraped loudly on the floor, Snoke leaned in, his hands clasped in front him expectantly on his mahogany desk. 

"Rose Marie Tico. How long have you worked here?"

"Five years, sir," she replied, sticking to the bare minimum. 

"But you have an associate's degree. You could be a mechanic or fix our computers. Why do this?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"Because I needed a job quickly when my sister became pregnant. I had to support her. This job paid the best," said Rose sullenly.

Rey had told Rose to quit multiple times, but Rose doubted anyone would hire her anyway since she was a woman in a man's world. 

"Why stay now?" asked Snoke. "You're a model employee. No doubt bored, though."

"Because it pays well and I would miss Rey," answered Rose honestly, glancing at her friend. 

"I'd miss you, too," signed Rey before patting Rose's arm. 

Snoke nodded, pretending to understand what she had said based on how her face looked.

"Well, I'm glad to have you. You understand the gravity of the situation we have here with this new asset. Now, about your friend here, Rey the mute."

Rey went stock-still, not liking how his attention all centered on her now. His beady eyes seemed to see right through her, and she hated it. She wanted to look away, but she didn't want to appear weak. 

"She was found off the Patapsco riverbank at the age of two without a voice," said Rose, sensing Rey's fright.

Snoke nodded. "You ever find out what caused that?"

Rey shook her head, making Snoke stand up. 

After she shook her head three times, he demanded, "Stop. Don't move." She froze as she watched Snoke reach forward and trace three scars along her neck. "This must be the cause of your lack of voice. This is a cruel, cruel thing to do to a child, don't you think?"

"It is," said Rose, seeing Rey's panic.

"But, if this asset really is a miracle worker, we could fix this. You could talk again, Rey. How would you like that?"

Snoke leered at Rey once more as his voice lowered, and his hands with it. He traced along the slope of her neck until he reached her collarbone at the opening of her blue uniform. He smirked at seeing Rey's carefully blank face.

"You don't have to hide your excitement from me, Rey. I'm going to be the man to make all your dreams come true."

Rey nodded, attempting to smile. He sat back down, allowing a relieved Rey to sit back as well, even though he seemed displeased that she didn't throw herself at him for offering her what she wanted. 

"Enough of the pleasantries. You clean that lab; you get out. Understand?"

Both women nodded, even as Rey boiled at being told what to do. She wanted to disobey Snoke just to spite him.

"That  _ thing  _ we keep in there is an affront to us, to the scientific world. An anomaly that must be explained. We'll kill it if we have to in order to understand it. It goes against everything we believe in if it really can do all those things. We'll find out soon enough," said Snoke, leaning back.

Rey wanted to spit on Snoke. She settled for paying Kylo a visit as soon as she could.

"Good," said Rose.

"Now, you may think that  _ thing _ looks human. It stands on two legs, just like us. However, it's just a way to trick you, to make you think it's safe. That's how it lures you in. Stay away from it and out of the water," warned Snoke as his red phone rang. "Or else you'll regret it. Unless, of course, you like losing your job, or worse: your life. Now, get out of my office."

Both women scurried out of his office, eager to leave his presence. Rey lingered near his door, only to try to find out who would want to talk to Snoke.

"Ahh, General Palpatine. It's good to hear your voice again. We ought to meet again for dinner since I'm now back in town."

Rey's nose wrinkled at hearing the name of the corrupt military leader and presidential hopeful. 

"No, I don't have anything yet, but it's only been two weeks. I'm sure we'll have much within the next two weeks," said Snoke. "We've just performed a battery of tests to compare him to us. You'll be the first one I inform. We might have a new miracle medicine, or the tools to create a super soldier, yet. Very well, sir. Thank you."

Rey dashed away after that, not liking what was in store for Kylo. With such orders from Mitaka and Snoke both, Rey decided it was time to pay regular visits to Kylo during lunch. If no one else was going to be nearby, then she could easily go there and let Rose talk to other ladies instead. She had had more than enough of being told with whom she could and could not associate. 

That day at lunch, she lied that she wanted to eat alone so she could read. Rose was very understanding and sat with a few other girls to discuss the latest gossip. 

Rey carried her bucket and cart with her to the Green Room in order to appear inconspicuous. The room was empty when she arrived, so she quickly made her way to the tank, thinking he was in there. Tapping on the glass three times, she was rewarded for her perseverance when Kylo tentatively made his way toward her. 

With all the lights turned on, the almost turquoise water gave Rey her best view of Kylo yet. As he slowly ventured toward her, eyes wide and curious, she took in his completely naked body. Glancing at his toned torso, she realized that he wasn't colored black like everyone had described him. He had just appeared black in the low light. 

In this light, his skin on the back part of his body was a dark grey, and the skin at the front was a slightly lighter grey with dark red lines curling up and down his body like waves or ivy. She assumed those red curlicues that criss-crossed delicately like a spiderweb were veins, and she continued her assessment of his body. 

In this light, his eyes were still almost black. She thought his irises had appeared red one time when she had walked in on that first "session", but she was sure that she had been imagining things. Now, he seemed almost gentle as he noticed her palm lying flat against the glass. Soon, his webbed hand was flat against the glass, opposite hers. Rey's world narrowed until it was only him and her, all sound melting away except the soft moan Kylo uttered when she didn't step back. As she held his eyes, a red glow emitted from below, and in her periphery, she thought that the veins were glowing, making his eyes seem purple. The glass started to feel warmer the longer her hand remained there, until finally she had to step back, waving her hand up and down to cool it off, as though it were burned. 

Kylo looked on, perplexed. Eventually, she ventured back toward him, but she decided against touching the glass. What she did notice was that there was a large grease spot that made the glass hard to see through where their hands had touched. She didn't have her glass-cleaning supplies with her, so she decided to see if she could wipe it away with her hand. When that didn't work, she looked up and jumped back at seeing how close Kylo was to her face. When she held still, he placed both webbed hands in front of him, closing both hands and placing his right one above his left at chest level. When both hands pushed downward and away from himself, as though pushing a mop, Rey realized that he was trying to tell her to get her mop, just like she asked Rose to do day after day. 

Heading over to her cart, she grabbed her wet mop, much to Kylo's delight. His mouth curved upward just a little, and she decided she would make him smile more. Bringing it over to the grease spot, she tried wiping it, but the glass remained cloudy. As she stared in puzzlement, she became astonished when he signed to ask her to grab her broom, placing his fisted hands at head height and pushing downward and toward himself, his right above his left once more. Rey made him smile again as she grabbed the broom, but still it didn't work. 

Kylo looked downcast, so she quickly placed her hand against the glass in a different place to try to comfort him. He was about to touch the glass when someone came to the main door. Kylo vanished into the watery depths, and Rey dashed behind a panel, worried until she saw Mitaka come forward. The scientist checked the pool, didn't see Kylo, and checked the glass door. When he spotted the cloudy portion, he gasped, running his fingers along the entire section of greasy-looking glass.

"Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating," he marveled. 

He stood up and ran for a phone at the side wall. Based on the number of turns made on the rotary dial, he was calling the technicians.

"I need your help," he said gravely. "Kylo tried to escape his cage by destroying the glass. How should I know? I think he heated it up somehow. Just get down here already!"

When it became clear that the techs needed more information, he started muttering to himself as he dashed out of the Green Room once more. Rey took the opportunity to wave goodbye to Kylo before leaving as well. When she went to the bathroom to run her hand under the ice cold water, she was shocked to see how red her hand was, even though it wasn't burned. All throughout the rest of the day, she couldn't help but think that all that heat had managed to melt the glass and yet not burn her.

When she got home that night, Finn was there with the latest news regarding Maz.

"Well, she really seems to like this new senior home. I'm glad because it's costing me all I have to have 'round the clock eyes on her. I thought the last one was expensive, but this one is worse. How was work?"

"It started terribly but then got better," she signed before showing him her palm.

"Rey! What did you do? Who do I have to kill?" asked Finn seriously. "These are unacceptable working conditions."

"This is alright!" she explained quickly before holding him back. "I did it by accident. The reaper is creepy and touched me."

Finn's face became thunderous as his voice turned threatening. 

"I hate that guy! If you ever get a chance to screw him over, tell me so I can help you. I want a piece of him," said Finn, fisting his hands. "I'll give him a knuckle sandwich."

Rey nodded and led him over to the sofa to eat her last meal before bed.

"So, what do you wanna do this weekend? Want to see  _ The Man Who Fell to Earth _ with me? Plutt gave me free tickets," said Finn as she finished up. 

Curious about seeing David Bowie in a movie, she agreed on the condition that they walked the half-mile to the inner harbor and got ice cream again. She also wanted to go to the open air market there to buy more eggs. They were fresher, and she was going to need more for her future visits to Kylo. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Wading In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey visits Kylo for the first time.

_ “Romeo and Juliet _

_ 40,000 men and women everyday … Like Romeo and Juliet. _

_ 40,000 men and women everyday … Redefine happiness. _

_ Another 40,000 coming everyday … We can be like they are.” _

  
  


"Want to visit Maz with me?" asked Finn as Rey came home Saturday morning. "We could see her when you wake up, see  _ The Man Who Fell to Earth _ , and then go to the two bars I'm playing tonight."

She nodded before unlocking her door. Finn had a habit of pouncing on her when she got home, ready with news or music recommendations to listen to for her nights off. The weekends were always a blur for her as he dragged her every which way.

When both were awake, they made their way to the nearby senior home where Maz lived. Finn kept his dreadlocks pulled back while visiting Maz out of deference; he would let them flow freely while he played at the local bars. 

For most of the visit, Rey and Finn took turns telling her about their work - Finn translating as Rey went along - before Finn brought out his guitar, serenading the women for an hour. When Maz had had her eyes closed for at least twenty minutes, Finn put away his guitar, and they prepared to leave. Finn kissed her goodbye first, and then Rey did so. 

"Explore the world, child," whispered Maz to Rey, eyes still closed. 

Rey was used to being called child. Maz called everyone that, even Finn. Every once in a while, she would remember Finn's name, but his and her husband Chewie's names were the only ones she remembered. The exhortation was new, though.

"But she likes her life here, with all she knows," replied Finn as Rey kissed the clammy, wrinkled forehead. "You know that."

Maz sat up with unseeing eyes as soon as Rey pulled away. She leaned toward Rey before saying in a trance-like voice, "Tell me something, child. Are you happy in this world?" 

Both Rey and Finn paused.

"Dear child, you already know the truth. Whomever you're waiting for … they're never coming back … but there's someone who still could. The belonging you seek is not behind you; it is ahead."

"Maz?" asked Finn with much confusion as Rey tried to make sense of her words. 

The thought of leaving her home and life, however unsatisfactory it was, was scary. She wanted more. She searched for it in her currently confined life, but she knew deep down she wouldn't find it by playing by the established rules. It had disappointed her so far. Letting go of the known, of the small pockets of joy with Rose and Finn, for a worse, unknown future didn't appeal to her, though. There were no guarantees that leaving the life she had would give her what she desired. 

Why did Maz say such a thing? Sure, she had told Rey to try more things in life, but this was a dramatic departure from that. Signing her thanks, she hugged Maz tightly, hoping that she would figure out later what Maz was talking about. When she let go, Maz smiled peacefully and laid back down to sleep.

"That was weird," said Finn as they walked out of the room. "It's like she just woke up to tell you that one thing. Now she's snoring like her great purpose is done. I don't get her sometimes."

"She cares," signed Rey, smiling softly, "even if it makes no sense."

"It's fine. She is a little delusional these days from the dementia; she keeps seeing invisible people, according to the nurses. Ready to see a movie?" asked Finn, not dwelling on how Maz's health was going downhill. 

The pair made their way back home and enjoyed a free movie, paying for popcorn and extra butter. The two bars Finn played that night were very successful for him. An old music manager named Lor San Tekka told him he had a future in music. Finn was on cloud nine the rest of the night as he treasured the old man’s business card and prepared for a professional meeting. 

Even amidst Finn’s joy and his satisfaction at finally starting to make his dreams come true, Rey found herself longing for change. She was happy for her friend and bought him a drink to celebrate, but she yearned for that same purpose and joy, or at least to enjoy her work more. She hoped that would happen now that Kylo was there, but it was hard to say. 

Sunday was equally nice, with more dancing on the dock to the new songs, a productive shopping trip for more eggs, and ice cream to end the trip. Again, she had fun with Finn, but it wasn't until she had the eggs in hand that she felt anywhere near excited. She was tired of not being satisfied with work, and she hoped this excitement stayed. 

When Rey went back to work, she was ready. All her spare time had been spent preparing what she wanted to do with Kylo during her lunch time that week. As she listened to Rose describe a romantic trip that Poe had taken Paige on over the weekend, she felt a slight pang of envy at the two's happiness. She wanted that same joy in her life, to fill that void that had been inside her for so long.

When it was lunchtime, Rey made her way to the Green Room with her bagged lunch on the service cart full of cleaning supplies. At the doorway, she hesitated for just a moment. 

Doubts assaulted her. She hadn't seen him while she had been cleaning earlier. Would Kylo reject her, or even be interested in her food? Would he hurt her for trying to bring him something? What if Snoke spotted her?

All doubts about Kylo she ignored, hopeful that his previous behavior was enough. She made her way in quickly, not wanting anyone to spot her or seem suspicious. She stood just inside the door, eyeing the water pool. She was about to go there when Snoke's warning returned to her.

Or else. 

What did that mean for her, or for that matter Kylo? Her job wasn't that big a deal to her. Could Kylo be injured more than he already was? Did he think Kylo would hurt her, or would Snoke do it himself? 

Finn's song came back to her with ringing clarity:  _ don't fear the reaper _ . 

It was worth a little headache from Snoke in order to find something greater, like friendship and love. If she had to leave, then she could go out and explore the world. The thought of seeing more of the ocean throughout the world always appealed to her, but she knew it wasn't a realistic dream. This, however, was. She had already started having some kind of connection with Kylo; she could have a connection like Paige and Poe had, if she tried. 

Love was greater than death or fear; even the song said so. Perfect love casts out fear, right? She had read that friendship was certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love, and she had seen that firsthand in the handful of times that she had tried to date and been rejected. She knew she could always go to Finn and Rose to feel better afterwards. For someone as alone as she was, friends like Rose and Finn were her only source of joy. If she could give that to Kylo and perhaps find something for herself as well, then she would take it. 

She had checked the video cameras inside the Green Room earlier and found out that they were all focused on the walls of panels, rather than the center of the room or the pool. With that assurance, she sat on the rounded edge of the pool and peered into the calm waters beside her.

It was a light blue, the type she would've loved to have swum in any other day. The odd green particles - Mitaka had called them a special salt in passing - floated on the top of the water, preventing her from seeing deeper, but she knew instinctively he was there, perhaps even watching her to see what she would do next. It was time to wade in and discover just how interested he was in getting to know her.

Taking out a small fork and one of her eggs, she tapped on the edge of one hardboiled egg. Just that small tap filled the deathly silence with something new, making the water develop waves and bubbles from the epicenter of Kylo's curiosity. Thus encouraged, she smiled and continued tapping until she had enough to remove the shell easily.

When she finished tapping, Kylo stuck his head cautiously out of the water. She grinned at him and began peeling the shell off, dropping the eggshells in her bag. He glanced at her, seemingly doubting that she could be real as she sat without any desire to hurt him. In that moment, she saw some wisdom in what Maz had to say. Perhaps she could bring Kylo back from his world of pain and exile. 

Kylo made small movements toward her, the water and salt hiding all but his eyes and nose from her. As he drew nearer, the light shining down upon the water made the salt crystals reflect green spots of light upon Kylo’s skin, giving him an almost ethereal glow as his body floated toward her, his eyes fixed upon her hands and the egg within it.

When he was close, she brought the egg up to her mouth, pretending to bite into it to show him that it was safe, that it could be eaten that way. He stopped momentarily to observe her pearly white teeth as they briefly touched the egg before she pulled it out of her mouth. She placed the egg in her open palm and reached out for him, trying to offer it to him. When she was within arm’s length of him, he jerked backward, a strangled sound in his throat, almost as though he were afraid. When she tried to reach out further, he dove into the water until he was some distance away again.

If there was one thing that Rey was, it was persistent. Finn and Rose had both remarked upon it multiple times. Finn was amazed at how she still had an old coloring book from her childhood. She didn’t have coloring supplies back then, just one pencil, so she got used to marking each day she lived by making a small slash in her book. The book was thick with marks, and Rey was proud of it. Rose was always amazed at how she didn’t give up on being nice to others, even when Phasma called her names. Now, Rey put her persistence to good use.

Sighing, Rey got up and knelt on the ground beside the pool, a gentle smile on her face. She put out her right hand as though to say she meant him no harm before putting the egg on the ledge where she had been sitting. He continued to stare at her, so she made the sign for an egg, placing both hands in front of her, extending the middle and index fingers of both hands, and tapping her right fingers on top of the left ones before separating them. 

If he could understand her mop and broom, then she hoped that he would get used to eggs by repeating the motion of pointing to the egg and then making the sign for it. It worked. His eyes kept switching between her and the egg as the distance between them vanished. When he stopped again, she repeated the motion just above the egg before stepping back several footsteps.

That was all it took. With that extra distance, he surged forward, blue water sluicing off his lean chest and splashing the area as a webbed hand grabbed and cradled the egg. For a moment, he sniffed the egg before swallowing it whole, and then he dove back into the water.

Rey called it a success. She settled herself back on the ledge and cracked two more eggs before eating them herself. He didn’t pop his head above the water, but she felt his eyes upon her, analyzing her movements. She didn’t mind. For once, she was sure that he was just as fascinated by her foreign ways as she was by him. 

Just before she left, she let one hand slide down the ledge until it just barely broke the edge of the water. Like magic, the water close by moved, and she saw a dark shadow within the water slither toward her, curious. He never actually touched her, but he hovered near her long enough that she had to leave to get back to work. As she pulled her hand out of the water, his head came up with it. She splashed a little water toward him before getting up and heading toward the door, her eyes glued to his surprised ones.

The last thing she wanted was him thinking that she was afraid of him. He didn’t seem to mind the constant eye contact; she held it as long as she could. Just as she was about to tap in the code to open the door, Kylo stood up and brought his hands up to his chest, palms facing her. Bringing his hands side by side, he turned his right hand in to face himself, mimicking a wave and making the sign for a door. She blinked, and so he did it again, looking at her expectantly.

That was when she realized that he was expecting her to wave back, as it were. She daily asked Rose to open the door, so he must have interpreted that as her way of saying goodbye to him. Putting her hands out, she mirrored the motion, and his mouth curved into just the slightest hint of a smile before he dove back into the water.

Rey thought she had known what happiness felt like before. Now she was discovering just what it could truly feel like as he disappeared, and she had never been so happy to redefine happiness. Who would’ve thought that something as small as an egg and a wave could open her world?

The next day, she brought her mop over to the edge of the pool, ready to clean. As she asked Rose for water, she noticed Kylo’s eyes appear just above the water’s edge. As her eyes lit up at seeing him become more bold, he shocked her when he repeated her hand motion of splashing just a little water at her before bringing his right hand up, touching his lips with his index finger’s pointed claw. A moment later, he was gone, and she felt breathless. She wished she could giggle or make some joyful sound at how happy the motion made her feel. Now, she could wave hello and goodbye to him, and he seemed to like the idea of splashing. 

Her lunch hour couldn’t come fast enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Exploring the Depths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo get to know one another. Hux has a new hairdo, or rather lack.

_ “We can be like they are. _

_ Come on baby … Don't fear the Reaper.” _

  
  


Rey felt a new sense of joy and purpose working at First Order Sciences in the following months. 

At first, she wore a small smile on the bus and on her way to lunch. Her resignation in her work swiftly changed to excitement as she explored their connection’s full depth. She began greeting Kylo each morning, and she had to restrain herself when she saw him preemptively greet her. He was going out of his way and becoming more unafraid of Rose in his quest to greet her. When she left the Green Room - with or without Rose - Kylo always waved goodbye in his own way, and Rey looked forward to it every time, if only to see the big, sad eyes that didn't want her to leave. He seemed just as happy to spend time with her as she was with him. With each day, it became easier to ignore the warning bells and fear of Snoke in order to go to the one being who seemed to understand and see her just as she was, accepting her all the more for it.

At lunch, she made a show of cracking and peeling the eggshell before leaving the boiled egg on the ledge for him. After he had dove back into the water, she would settle herself comfortably to eat beside him. Over the course of a few weeks, he inched himself closer to her to watch her eat, and the amount of his body he showed her while she ate increased. He started off by showing only the top of his head, then his whole head. That led to half and then all of his chest as he went between standing to observe her habits and sitting beside her. Two weeks into their shared lunch, Rey tried once more to hand him the egg instead of leaving it on the ledge. That time, he plucked it out of her hand and didn't eat it right away as he usually did, waiting for her to prepare hers. 

She couldn't hide her smile from Rose after that.

"Why are you in such a good mood right now?" asked Rose, two days after he took the egg from her offered hand.

"Because Finn has found a manager and new gigs," she signed, lying about the true source of her happiness.

While Finn's good news was fantastic, it was nothing compared to how Kylo made her feel. It kept her high on a cloud, floating. She felt like she could lift rocks with how invincible she felt when she was with him, or just thinking of him. It was a strange, new sensation, but one to which she was quickly becoming addicted. 

With every little bit of progress she made with him, the more she planned. She was imagining more things she could introduce to him, wanting him to see and become a part of her whole world. She saw couples who walked along the inner harbor, so in tune and in love with one another. She wanted that with Kylo, however wrong or crazy it was, to be like they were. With each new part of her world she showed him, she grew confident that he understood her more. 

Once she got him used to waiting to eat with her, she would try to lean toward him, encouraging him to venture closer. He was doing it by degrees, and she wanted him to know that she felt the same as him, leaning until her legs were high in the air, occasionally making goofy faces at him when she balanced unevenly on the ledge. Over time, he sat or stood beside her while she cracked her eggs and enjoyed her meal. 

When he began going to her side without prompting as soon as she arrived, she decided to begin her plan’s next stage. She let him try other protein-rich foods she liked, and he always ate what she gave him. 

The next new thing she tried was music. She hid an ancient vinyl player in a carrying box on her cart and brought jazz, something without singing to start. He pointed at the player, and she taught him the sign for music, sweeping her right hand along her left lower arm. As the music played, she sat beside him, tapping her feet excitedly. He responded well, eyes rapt with interest as he stared at the spinning, black album. After a week of teaching him the signs for jazz and music, she brought in some of Finn's music. Finn gave her his experimental albums from when he first started out, as well as the new ones he was developing with his manager. She taught the sign for a fin, putting out her right hand that swerved like a fish and then outlining the shape of a fin before adding on the sign for music. Kylo learned the new addition and soon started asking for fin music, much to her delight. 

Next, she brought in some of her favorite albums from the current year, starting with Blue Oyster Cult. Kylo loved the sound of the guitar, and she would pretend to strum the guitar like Finn did. Soon, Kylo took to mimicking her actions when the guitar played, and they would bop their heads to the beat. She always tapped her feet, but he did not. She couldn't see him doing so, at least. 

For the newer music, she taught him the symbol for rock music **,** and he requested more of that after listening to all of Blue Oyster Cult. She quickly discovered that he liked David Bowie's music, his "Golden Years" the first he heard before she had him listen to other, older albums she borrowed from Finn. Kylo really liked "Rebel Rebel", and she was secretly glad since it was one of her favorites as well. Normally, they listened to a new artist every day, but Kylo requested Bowie multiple days in a row. 

The more music they listened to, the more she got into the music with him. Kylo always liked playing the air guitar, but she soon grew tired of that because her arms got tired. She attempted to tap dance or just twirl about the floor as the music moved her, and Kylo would chitter happily when she did so, his chittering a combination of gurgling and tongue clicking.

After music, she brought art. She stuck with the landscapes she had of the harbor and water, but Kylo wasn't as big a fan of those. As a result, she returned to music after a week of art. Her only art success was when she brought the old Polaroid camera she took with her to the harbor sometimes so that she could photograph beautiful days. She managed to find a way to tilt the camera so that she could get a photo of the two of them together, and she treasured that photo with her life. 

One of the only two people confused by the dramatic change in her routine was Finn. He started asking within a week of her starting to bring in music.

"Rey, why do you keep taking all that music with you? Are you listening at home without me?" he pouted after she returned one record on Saturday morning. 

She replied no before reminding him again that she listened during lunch. She settled herself in his easy chair, ready to chat since he seemed to have many questions. 

"But why? I thought you and Rose talked."

"I wanted a change," she signed pleasantly. "Rose likes the arrangement, too. I have a new friend."

"A new friend? Tell me about her," said Finn, glad for her.

"Him," she corrected, a little unwillingly. 

"Him? You got someone you're holding out on me? You got a boyfriend? You got a cute boyfriend?" asked Finn, elbowing her from his own chair.

She laughed and shook her head, telling him it was none of his business. He pretended to look scandalized, and then she told him that she was kidding.

"Who is he? What are his intentions? Do I need to meet him?" asked Finn, becoming more serious.

She spelled out his name.

"Kylo? That's an odd one."

"He's sweet and loves your music," responded Rey, sure that that would appease Finn.

It did. Finn warmed to him at once. 

"Then you both have good taste. Alright, I'll stop bothering you about him, but I want to know all the music he likes and dislikes, even if it is mine. if things get serious, I expect to know first."

She nodded her head, expecting nothing less of him. "We're getting to know one another," she signed as a way of explaining. 

"Good."

And it was good since he had no idea what Kylo really was. She told him daily of how Kylo responded to songs and her dancing, whether he liked her cooking, or anything else Finn asked.

Rose was equally understanding … eventually. 

At first, Rose accepted that Rey wanted to read and eat in silence. However, she began asking questions the longer Rey ate by herself. She saw Rey's unease and decided not to push the issue, hoping Rey would explain it all. She stopped hoping once she saw how happy Rey was becoming and left it at that. 

Rey would have continued making good progress with Kylo were it not for a particular Friday a couple months after she started having lunch with him. That day, the ladies were walking by the Green Room's door when they heard two gunshots, the electric cattle prod, and several yelps and moans.

A moment later, the Green Room’s door lurched open, and Snoke stumbled out of his research room clutching his left hand before falling to his knees. He looked up briefly, his normally pasty, white skin now deathly pale. As Mitaka ran after him crying out for medical help, Snoke glanced down at his left hand. That was when Rey saw the splashes of dark red covering his left hand flowing rapidly from between his fingers.

"We need to get out of here right now,” said Rose, pushing Rey away.

The girls turned and dashed away with their carts, neither used to seeing so much blood spilling out from another person. Rey heard a proud roar come from Kylo as she left, and she had a bad feeling that he had caused it. The only question in her mind was what had Snoke done to earn it. The girls cleaned one last room before taking lunch, and it was as they grabbed their food that the now-bald Hux came huffing and puffing toward them.

“Oh no, the baldo Hux is coming. Prepare yourself to withstand the shininess of his greasy head. Seriously, does he put gel on that, too?” cracked Rose as both girls faced him.

Hux had eased into Snoke’s bald look by shaving the sides of his hair first. Rose tried to convince him to grow a mullet instead, but he gave her looks that promised expulsion if she continued, so she stopped. Now, however, he had a head that looked smoother than a baby’s bottom. 

“You two. You’re both needed in the Green Room immediately. Go. Get a move on,” he said, trying to catch his breath between words.

“But it’s lunch-”

“ _ Now.  _ Your employer demands it,” growled Hux. “I’ll have no more of your insolence unless you want to seek other employment.”

Rose was about to make a smart comment when Rey made the sign for a caterpillar. That reminder of Hux’s fluffy mustache made Rose chuckle and smile before agreeing to go. Hux waited for them to leave before he made his exit to his desk to wheeze in private.

The girls made their best time ever in getting to the Green Room. It appeared that all of the workers and elevators knew that Snoke and Hux required the laboratory to be cleaned, so they had first access to the elevators and were ignored when they ran down the hallway. When they made it inside the room, they were no longer shocked about  _ why  _ they had been requested. 

If Snoke’s hand and face looked bad, then this was why. There was blood on the pedestal and surrounding floor, though much of it had diffused into puddles of pink-tinted water. 

Rey quickly shielded her eyes from the sight before she noticed Kylo watching her carefully. She was sure that she seemed upset, and the fact that he didn’t try to greet her spoke volumes. His face and eyes seemed guilty for a moment before he dropped into the blue depths. As much as she wanted to go to him, to tell him that she didn’t blame him and appreciated him doing something to a man she hated, she knew she had a job to do. She would have to tell him the next time she worked, which would be after the weekend. 

As she resigned herself to not having lunch with him, Rose complained, “Seriously, blood? Number one I’m used to. Number two I can deal with. But not blood. Alright, let’s get this done quickly.”

The two began dumping bucket after bucket of water onto the puddles of blood until one splash of water revealed two tiny, flesh-colored cylinders. Rey bent down to examine them and discovered that they were fingers. Suddenly, the sheer amount of blood loss made sense. Picking them up, she presented them to Rose, who cringed.

“Rey! Where did you find those? What are you doing with whatever those things are? Are those … fingers?”

Rey nodded eagerly and compared them side-by-side with hers. Rose gulped before going for the door. “That is  _ nasty  _ and needs to be contained somehow. I’m notifying Hairless Hux while you do something with those things. Ugh.”

Rey shrugged and pulled out the paper bag that had held her lunch and slipped the amputated fingers into it to keep them safe.

As she finished up the first round of mopping, Rose and Hux came hurtling into the room. Hux’s face was as red as his mustache, even the top of his head, but his eyes were trained on Rey.

“You, where are the items you found?” he demanded of her.

Giving him a shrug, she handed him the bag, and he rolled his eyes. "Why are you giving me your lunch?" he scoffed. 

Rose was about to say something when Rey reached in and handed the fingers to Hux. At that, he stuttered and made a wordless cry before snatching them out of her hands. 

"Give me those! Why are you putting them into something as unsanitary as a lunch bag? This is a prestigious laboratory we run here. Is this … mustard on them? This is disgusting. These are the fingers that belong to our esteemed leader!"

Rey shrugged as Hux shuffled out the door as fast as he could with such things in his hands. 

"He really is the insufferable man I've ever met," said Rose, putting her hands on her hips. "Good job cleaning. The bag was a nice touch. Let's finish this already."

A little later, the women finished cleaning. Right before they headed out, Mitaka came in to check their status and was pleased with the results. 

"This is excellent work. Good job, ladies. I can think of several other labs who would love to have such hardworking people like you working there."

"Thanks!" Rose replied, grinning. "I don't suppose any of them are close to here, are they?"

His eyes lit up at discussing his true research home. "Where I just came from, Resistance Labs at Naboo University, isn't too far away. The main woman I worked with-"

"You actually have a woman in a high position in research?" asked Rose in shock.

"Of course. Connix is very good at what she does. She's a leader in marine biology."

"Huh," said Rose, an idea coming. "So the lab appreciates women working in various capacities."

"Yes. It's leading the way in terms of having women at every level of the university and lab," said Mitaka, becoming more open as she continued to ask about one of his favorite topics.

"But what if I wanted to repair the equipment?" asked Rose, testing him.

"We need capable people like that. Why do you ask?" he replied, starting to get nervous.

Rose shrugged. "It would be nice to do more than just clean. I'd like to fix things with my associate's degree."

"You should. It's a waste of your abilities," he agreed before pointing at the reason he had walked in. "Do you know how to fix that monitor over there?"

"Yes. I fix those all the time. Let me show you how it's done," said Rose as Rey glanced at the pool.

Kylo wasn't visible, and she went all the way to the ledge of the pool looking for him, but without success. He wouldn't come up, evidently still feeling guilty or ashamed. She leaned down to tie her shoelaces and splashed the water instead. 

She waited. Nothing.

When he still didn't turn up, she gave up and headed toward the door. By the time she got to the door, there was still no sign of him, nor of the two bullets that she heard fired earlier. Giving him her little wave goodbye, she left, face downcast. 

Rose, meanwhile, was able to prove just how well she could fix anything put in front of her. 

"This is very good work. You continue to impress me, Miss … Rose, is it?" asked Mitaka, deciding to take a chance. 

"Yes, Rose," she replied triumphantly.

"I hope one day you'll leave this place to use these skills. I highly recommend calling Miss Kaydel Connix. She'd be happy to employ someone as capable as you," he said, handing her a card. "She's a very warm, kind-hearted woman and very wise."

Rose couldn't help but notice Mitaka’s look of admiration when he spoke of Miss Connix. Something was going on there. 

"Thank you. I'll definitely look into this," said Rose, pocketing the card. "Are you two an item?"

Mitaka blushed and stammered, "I, uh, no, I don't know why you would think I would feel anything beyond admiration - strictly professional of course - for someone I've only worked with once for less than two weeks some years ago. That is-"

"You don't have to lie to me. I'm not Snoke," said Rose, patting his arm. "He might care if you worked for an enemy lab for a long time and have a marked preference for it, but I don't. Snoke is evil and creepy."

"I still don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a professor at the university and only see her in passing, no more than once every six months," said Mitaka, stumbling over his words.

Rose laughed. "Sure. Whatever you say, Mitaka. I'll catch you on the flipside."

Rose quickly ran to catch up with Rey. "I think I might be able to find another job and get out of this hellhole!" cried Rose, hands clasped and jumping in place excitedly. "And if I'm leaving, you're coming with me."

Rey grinned and congratulated her best friend before hugging her soundly. Rose told her friend what had transpired, but after some time of silence, Rose couldn't help but notice that Rey still looked upset.

"Why are you acting like your best friend just died?" 

"So much blood and pain," signed Rey, her face barely changing.

Rose patted her back tenderly before adding, "At least it was Snoke who got injured and not anyone else."

Rey was grateful about that, but it didn't help her mood. Rose tried something else. She took Rey to the backside of the building at the loading dock, where the laundry was sent off to be cleaned by JJ and RJ's Laundry Services. There, many other employees took a smoke break and snuck sips from a flask. 

Company policy forbid drinking on the job, but it didn't stop them.

"C'mon, Rey, just take a sip. You need it as much as I do after seeing all that blood."

Rey tried to protest, but one of the guys said, "Don't worry about that camera. We push up that security camera over there during break time so that we can drink in peace. We're in a blind spot."

"See? Now, try this bourbon," said Rose, handing her friend a flask. "It'll help."

Rey coughed after taking a sip, but she made a mental note of the blind spot, should she ever need it again. The drink didn't help, though. Kylo was her concern, and he wasn't showing himself. By the time she got home, her bad mood hadn't lifted.

"Why the long face, Rey?" asked Finn as she walked down the hallway. 

He had a new album in his hands and an excited look, a good sign that he had been busy recording. 

"Someone got injured at work. There was a lot of blood," signed Rey before opening her door and waving him in. "Is that new music for us to listen to?"

"Yes," he said, growing excited. "Sorry to hear about the injury. You look safe, so I'm happy."

His good mood and new music soon had Rey feeling more hopeful about the new week. She visited a whole host of new bars and clubs that weekend since his manager found him newer, better places to play, and Finn was cautiously optimistic that he was finally going to hit it big.

When a new work week began, Rey came ready to regain old ground with Kylo. What she didn't expect was Hux waiting just outside the locker room for her. 

"You, mute help. Our prestigious leader wishes to speak to you regarding last week's incident," he said, disdainful that he even had to relay such a message. "Now."

Rey nodded as Rose replied, "I'll grab your stuff and meet you downstairs when you're done."

Hux escorted Rey to Snoke's office, and she was glad that she didn't have to speak to Bazine. She gave Rey a dirty look but said nothing since her presence was needed elsewhere.

"Ah, young Rey. Please, sit," said Snoke when she came to the door.

She reluctantly entered his office, and Hux sneered before disappearing. Snoke sat once she did, smiling broadly at her. Without preamble, he showed her his bandaged hand covered in gauze, the cut off fingers now sewn back on.

"As you can see, this is why you can never trust a wild beast like our new asset. Because I got too close to him, his powerful jaws managed to take a bite out of me, taking these two fingers clear off. Naturally, I had to shoot him to stop him. I hope this is the last time that anyone is ever injured by this thing."

She nodded, resisting the temptation to say something when Rose wasn't there to deflect. 

"Thank you again for finding my fingers, Rey. As you can see, it's healing nicely. That'll be all," said Snoke as the red phone rang. 

Rey got up and left quickly, lingering by the door again to see if Snoke would discuss Kylo's future more. She was rewarded, even if she didn't like the answer.

"General Palpatine, thank you for calling me back."

The thought of the decrepit Palpatine hurting Kylo or using him to further his hateful plans made Rey furious. She backed away from the door, hoping that more delays would keep Kylo there longer.

"Oh yes, General, I'm feeling much better." After a pause, he said, "Yes, it was only two fingers I lost. Pain pills help."

She was at the stairway just outside his line of vision when she heard Snoke's last words that sent her mind into a flurry. 

"Looking forward to your visit, General. Decisions need to be made about the asset."

As he hung up the phone, she made her way back to her cleaning supplies, worried what Palpatine's visit would mean for Kylo. All she did know was that she needed to make the most of the time she had left before he was carted away.

Anything else was not an option. 

"Talking to Snoke was that bad, huh?" said Rose when Rey first joined her.

Rey nodded, distracted. She remained distracted as she worked, face more upset when Kylo again didn't try to greet her or bid her farewell. She still did, hopeful that he would be more accessible at lunch. 

As they cleaned their third room, Rose began trying to get her out of her funk.

"Are you still reading your books? Why are you bringing music now?"

Rey's mind switched gears rapidly, glad for a change. "To set a mood," Rey explained. "Being near the Reaper and Hux so much is…."

"I totally understand, girl. You enjoy your alone time. I'm getting all kinds of dirt on Snoke and Bazine. Apparently, Snoke is expecting a visitor in a couple weeks."

"General Palpatine," replied Rey, making the tyrant sign for him. When the friends did discuss politics, his name often came up since both hated him and his policies. That he was running for president was a constant source of friction between them and others like Hux who loved him. 

Rose's eyes widened in shock. "Not him!"

Rey nodded before they opened another door and got to work. Later at lunch, she had barely entered the room when Kylo stuck his head out of the water cautiously. When he saw that it was her, he emerged from the water, not greeting her as he stood up. Sighing, she greeted him and pushed her cart to its designated spot. He continued to assess her. 

In an attempt to show that she still liked him, she made the symbol for an egg, to see if he wanted one. His eyes widened in confusion before repeating the sign. She then brought her right fingers up to her lips, kissing them. His gaze became fixed upon her fingers and lips as she tentatively reached her right fingers toward his mouth. For a time, he stood frozen, as though lost as to why she would continue to reach out to him. It wasn't until she almost touched him that he dove backward into the water to prevent her doing so. Her face grew sad, shoulders sagging as she sat down at her usual spot on the ledge.

As she stared at the spot beside her, she found herself rubbing the spot beside her with her right hand, staring longingly. When she looked back up, she was shocked to see him up again, eyeing the ledge where her hand rested on it. 

When she grabbed an egg for him, he splashed her, this one larger than previous ones. In the previous weeks, he had been growing more bold and playful in his splashing. She gave her pretend-mad look before splashing him back, making him chitter happily. Soon, he was tapping his four fingers together to request the egg, his face and movements much more like normal. Smiling, she started cracking the shell and was about to hand him the egg when the door unlocked unexpectedly. 

She dashed with her bag over to the side of the room, hiding behind a panel. In her rush, she realized belatedly that she had dropped her egg. She watched as Mitaka entered the Green Room with a long piece of paper that had bar graphs and pie charts on it. Standing in front of the pool, Mitaka stared in confusion between the paper and the spot where he imagined Kylo to be. 

"Most peculiar. Your body  _ is  _ almost magical because of how fast it repairs itself from those shots that Snoke gave you last week. I wonder if those cells can be implanted in us, or if the blood is sufficient."

He was just about to leave when he looked down and saw Rey's dropped egg. He knelt down, keeping one hand under his jaw as he picked up the egg. "What is this? Where did it come from? I  _ suppose  _ you could eat this since it has so much protein."

He stood up and threw the egg into the trash before going to the door. Rey pressed herself as tightly against the panel as possible to avoid being seen. When he didn't stare long in her direction, she thought that she was safe. 

She wasn't. 

Mitaka had noticed Kylo’s change in behavior for some time. He thought that Kylo had gotten used to Snoke’s constant beatings and abuse. He thought that Kylo was becoming more good-natured and quiet because he was used to the environment. Now he knew otherwise; the mute help whom he sometimes saw eating boiled eggs in the cafeteria was spending time with Kylo. She was feeding him and doing who knew what else. He didn't want to know; it was enough to know that Kylo was happy and wouldn't try to escape. He left, giving her his blessing. 

Rey cautiously made her way back to Kylo when the door had closed. She got him another egg, and that time, he almost touched her. Once he had the egg, she tried to lay a comforting hand on his wrist. He seemed unsettled; though she wasn't sure if it was his reaction to the scientist or her nervousness. However, he jerked his body away from her, making her face fall. When he took a few steps forward, she tried again, only to be rebuffed again. Whatever it was, he didn't want her to touch him, and she didn't understand why. 

The rest of the meal was silent, as she was afraid of others barging in, and she didn't feel like dancing when he wouldn't let her get that close. There was still something about her that made him hold back, even though she had done everything she could to welcome him. When she splashed him back even harder at the end of her time, some of the salt touched her hand. He glared at the salt until she picked it up and threw it playfully at him. At that, his poor mood vanished, and they finished the visit on a high note as they proceeded to wave goodbye. 

As the door closed on her, they locked eyes. She saw her own sadness reflected back in Kylo’s hunched back and sagging face as he glanced at the spot inside the door where she always said farewell to him. A small part of her rejoiced.

Perhaps he had a good reason for not touching her, rather than fearing her. She couldn't imagine what since he was known to heal himself. The only explanation she could think of was how he injured Snoke and his fear of doing something similar to her.

Was he having similar thoughts as she? Did he dream about her like she dreamt about him? Ever since they had begun having lunch together regularly, she had begun to dream about what it would be like to do other activities with him, sometimes as simple as leaning against him and reading, sometimes at the lab, and other times at her home. Other times it was her diving in and swimming alongside him, maybe even letting him wash her. 

That night, however, as she imagined his lips once more, she imagined kissing him. She had never had a hotter dream, her climbing into the pool and straddling him as her lips claimed his, finally showing him exactly why he had no reason to fear her. 

That dream filled her nights for many weeks to come.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!!


	5. Leaving the Shallow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palpatine pays a visit, and everything changes.

_“Baby take my hand … Don't fear the Reaper_

_We'll be able to fly … Don't fear the Reaper”_

Rey’s world shifted two weeks after Mitaka walked in on her lunchtime visit. 

It was just before lunch, and Rey decided to try something new that day, the next step in her plan to draw closer to Kylo. Ever since she threw salt at him, he still wasn't willing to let her touch him, but he was gathering the salt near her since she liked swirling the green crystals and making designs in the water. Every time she kept her hand in the blue depths longer, he seemed more willing to trust her. To show him how not afraid she was, she had brought sandals and a towel so that she could stick her feet and legs in the water with him. She left the sandals on the cart outside and only brought in the towel. 

However, the sight that greeted her was unlike any other she had witnessed. Once, she had wondered what Snoke did to Kylo to make him bellow out in pain so much. Now, she understood: he was chaining Kylo up on that pedestal, no doubt using that cattle prod on him since she heard the electrical buzz often enough. His head and legs were restrained so that his knees hit the ground and he was leaning back. 

Kylo had several open sores on his body, all of them oozing a blue blood that she had never seen before. Why was it that she had never seen him injured until now?

Of course, his healing ability. But why was Snoke working so close to lunch and leaving Kylo like this? Those questions ran through Rey's mind almost as fast as she physically did. She couldn't remember the last time she had run, but before she knew it, she was doubled over and on her knees, holding out her towel and reaching out a hand to tend to his wounds. 

Kylo kept crying out in pain. He growled once as she neared, but she pointed her index finger at him accusingly before showing him her towel. He stared at the towel in confusion until she mimed patting her chest with it. When he understood, he stilled, allowing her to get close.

Rey patted all of Kylo's chest. When the towel was soaked in his blood, she threw it to the floor. Kylo growled a warning as her hands drew closer to him, but she didn't care. She intended to take care of him and possibly remove the large, metal restraint around his neck.

She reached for his cheek and forehead first, hoping he would understand. When his warning growls and jerky movements didn't deter her, he calmed down and waited for her to make the next move. She paused just before touching him, aware that something momentous was occurring based on how much he had fought her before. Now, he accepted her and allowed her to step into his watery world, leaving the shallow of safety for something deeper, more substantive. 

Then, her hands found his skin … 

Her world stopped. It was as though the hum and whirs of the electrical panels and air conditioning had died, leaving instead nothingness. Absolute silence, a peace unlike anything she had felt before. Even her mind was quiet as she let the waves of awareness and _something _penetrate her, new sensations filling her senses. What was this tremulous, soft thing leaving her breathless? It was as though she were looking at him for the first time, as dear and precious as he was. She was truly alive. Everything had led to this moment of awareness as she touched him. The hands on his face burned hotter than ever before. Why did it feel like this? Then she realized that his veins were glowing. At the same time, his left hand rested on her upper right arm, and his skin seemed to pierce her, forcing her arm to shake, even though she felt no physical pain. When she looked at her arm where his hand had been, she saw her own blood, and she didn’t understand how it had happened. She looked up, trying to understand. 

She saw him, the leathery, gray skin taking on a reddish glow in the corners of her peripheral, and at the center, his blue irises becoming darker and wider, swallowing her whole. Just outside his right eye, she saw a red line appear where her hand had traced along his face in an effort to show him no harm. It seemed as though both had caused a mark of some sort to appear on the other’s skin where they had first met, and some part of her was a little pleased by it. _He _certainly didn’t seem upset about it. His chest muscles heaved up and down slowly as he gazed at her, as though memorizing her, and she did the same. 

Seconds later, she saw herself. It was the most surreal dream she had ever had, a true out of body experience as she took in her worry-creased face and awed eyes. She felt roiling emotions toss and turn as the view focused instead on her wrists and hands, a warmth and tenderness filling her that she didn't understand. It wasn't until she saw the point of view that she realized that she was inside Kylo's mind. She saw only the edge of his arms and hands, as focused as he was on her. Whatever those mixed up emotions were within him, it didn't seem to prevent him from bringing his webbed hands up to her face. 

His laser focus returned to her face, lingering there and carefully watching her as he inched his hands up, giving her ample opportunity to escape. She, however, was still in control of her body, and she eagerly leaned in, wanting him to know that she wanted him, too. She only hoped that he felt the same tenderness from her as she had from him. 

When his hands found her face, something awakened within her, something deep and primal that made her want to cry out his name and burrow into him, covering him in enough kisses until every hurt was drenched in love and healed. She felt his pain keenly but focused instead on the overwhelming desire that seemed to radiate off of him as his hands brought her face down to his level, as though he were finally giving in to one of the most basic urges he had had for some time. As she delved into that desire, her body moved of its own volition, climbing over his body so more of their skin touched. She had never felt so warm before, and yet, she couldn't imagine a better way to burn, consumed as she was in sharing something that had begun to appear in her dreams on a regular basis: the idea of kissing him. 

It didn't matter that it didn't happen exactly as she imagined it. This was more important, more urgent. She _needed _him to know that it didn't matter how he looked; she was there for him, unafraid. 

She had a moment of clarity in that second before their lips touched.

She was falling in love with him. 

Months of time spent together had developed a familiarity and awareness that she was loathe to lose. If Snoke destroyed him, then she was going to save what she loved. Her right hand scrambled to press on his chest, where a heart would be on a normal human. All that seemed to be there was a wound still oozing blue blood, but she pressed into it. In her head, she imagined herself being strong enough to bring the wounded skin together, sewing it together with one touch.

As that image flitted through her mind, she was shocked to see Kylo's eyes sparkle for just a moment as he closed the distance between them by using his hands to press her down against him. That was when he brought his forehead to rest against hers, and she felt an electric current rush through her. Another series of images were shown to her, of two other sea creatures like Kylo pressing foreheads together. One creature seemed more feminine in shape and had milky white skin. The other creature was green. When their foreheads touched a moment later, the two brought their hands together, and both of their veins went from glowing gray and brown to the same shade of blue, as though both bound themselves to each other and showed it via their shared glow. 

Rey didn't fully understand who the creatures were, but she loved the intimacy of the gesture. She yearned for that intimacy with him, and she sensed that he wanted to form that kind of bond with her. She was pretty sure that the bond had been formed the moment their skin touched, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that was why he had avoided touching her for so long. She took his hands so their palms met, showing she didn’t fear him or their bond. She felt another small surge within her from him, and his body pushed against hers more boldly a moment later, his body seemingly stronger. 

His strength and his desire to bond with her of all people made her eager. She had never kissed a man before, and her dreams had always idealized the moment. She remembered one of her dreams just then, of her straddling him as her lips claimed his, and his hands moved, pressing hers flat against his chest before bringing his hands to her back, pressing her against him just like in her dream. 

She realized that he could see what she thought as well, and she was thrilled at the thought of him allowing her what she wanted. She tried pressing her lips against his, but it was awkward and messy. She didn't understand angles at all. Her pointy nose ran into his, and her lips only nipped the edge of his. She tried again, but both tilted their heads in the wrong way, making her kiss his chin instead. She scowled in frustrated determination at their awkwardness, but he didn't care. He made a warm sound in his throat as he released her arms, and she found herself angling and holding his face still while she finally kissed him. 

She smiled from the feeling of pure perfection overtaking her. She felt as though she were flying with him, high above their pain and normal existence to something greater, more mystical and beautiful. Thoughts and desires joined, and she found herself rubbing her legs together briefly as a sudden, hot ache filled her senses. As his lips opened slightly to nibble at her lower lip, she sighed with closed eyes and relished the feel of his tongue tasting and exploring her lip. Her tongue found his skin, some part of her curious how he tasted. He reminded her of saltwater, and soon his tongue found hers. He tasted like fish and something wild as his unexpectedly long tongue slid further in, seeking more of her. The added warmth set off a chain reaction of desire, wetness growing between her legs. 

He purred contentedly before it became something darker, more guttural, and then he took the lead, instinct taking over as his lips moved over hers. For several moments, Rey knew what it felt like to be wanted, desired, and she wanted to free Kylo of his chains. If she could get him out of that lab completely, she would. Anything to give him the freedom he deserved, even if it meant she lost him. He had given her something she could never repay, and she wanted to do the same for him.

They would've continued kissing while she tried to find a way to remove the chains were it not for the sound of voices and the main door opening. At that, images of Snoke with the cattle prod were transferred to her, showing her all the ways Snoke had beaten him. Kylo pushed her off, and she got up, only to pause before hiding. Their bond made her stronger than ever, and she wanted to show Snoke just how much she wouldn't fear him anymore. Kylo, however, met her eyes, and another image came: she cradled within the safety of his arms, both swimming together peacefully. He wanted her safe, and they could escape after Snoke left, so she hid just in time with her bloody towel. 

"As you can see, General Palpatine, I've gone ahead and weakened the asset a bit in preparation for your arrival. I didn't want any issues for you like I had two weeks ago."

"How? His body shows no sign of injury other than that thin red line across the right side of his face," said another gravelly voice. 

All movement stopped, and Rey ripped her eyes from the two scientists, security officer, and army general to glance at Kylo. She hadn't paid much attention to Kylo's body as she got up in haste, but now she did. Sure enough, his body had no open wounds, and she rejoiced. He was an even faster healer than she had expected. 

"Why that - I'll pummel the beast-"

"There's no need, Richard. He's restrained as I requested. Tell me about the asset," demanded Palpatine. 

"It's part amphibian and human, as you can see," said Mitaka. "It can alternate between two entirely separate breathing mechanisms, in the water and in the air."

"I see," said Palpatine, clearly bored.

"As you can see, he heals himself quickly. When I left not an hour ago, he had multiple open sores," said Snoke proudly, making Mitaka's face shrivel up in pain for Kylo. "Now he has none. Let's give him a few more and see what he does, shall we?"

"That is entirely unnecessary!" cried Mitaka with more bravery than he had ever had in his life. He stood in front of Kylo, adding, "If you want to study him and use him to cure cancer and any other number of diseases, weakening him won't help you. We should be strengthening him and learning to communicate with him-"

"So he can kill us in our sleep? Did you not see what he's capable of, you incompetent nincompoop?" shouted Snoke, getting into Mitaka's face.

"Gentlemen, we're all looking out for the common good here. No need to argue," said Palpatine easily, going to Kylo and examining him. "Zap him twice so that I can touch him, Richard."

Snoke did so with a cruel grin, Kylo screeching in pain as two more wounds appeared on his chest, making him fall forward. Rey clutched herself, and Mitaka had to look away, ending up seeing Rey off to the side as a result. When their eyes met, she cringed and tried to hide more, and he pretended as though he saw nothing. 

Soon, Palpatine was touching the skin and ridges on Kylo's back. "How long can he breathe in air?"

"We haven't been able to figure it out yet," said Snoke. "I'm sure it'll be different for us once we inject ourselves with his DNA."

"However, we shouldn't push it much longer. We should get him back in the water as soon as possible," said Mitaka worriedly, going to Kylo until Palpatine held him back.

"Not yet. Let's see what he's really capable of first. Lift his head up so I can see him. I want him to know and fear my face," said Palpatine, his grin maligned. 

Snoke handed the cattle prod to Palpatine, who lifted Kylo's head. Rey watched in horror as he used it three times on Kylo, each time longer than the last. Soon, Kylo passed out on the pedestal.

"Now, you may put this thing back in the water," said the general, handing the prod back to Snoke before lifting one of Kylo's hands. "Such long, sharp claws - ahhh!"

Kylo took one, long swipe at Palpatine, blood spurting from his wrist at the open gash, as well as from his chest near his heart, where the swipe had ended. Palpatine fell back as Snoke rushed to him, and Mitaka got the chains pulled back to get Kylo into the water.

"We need a doctor!"

"I want you to kill and dissect that thing within seventy-two hours, Richard!" Palpatine roared. He lost more blood than Snoke had. 

Hux was already out the door when Mitaka yelled, "No! Killing him won't serve our purposes. We need more time to study him-"

"I'm funding this endeavor, and I say we _kill _him. That is an order," said Palpatine as his voice grew softer and face paler.

"Mitaka, you creature hugger, get over here and help me move him," said Snoke.

Soon, the two were heading out, and Rey followed them, not wanting Mitaka to tell anyone that she had been there. However, a jeep had already arrived to cart the general away, and she was forced to follow the two men back to Snoke's office, where she watched Snoke yell at a cowering Mitaka. When he left the room, he saw her and winked, letting her breathe. 

She went in the same direction as Mitaka out of the room without him noticing her. It wasn't long before he made a detour away from his office, going to a phone used to place long distance calls. Inserting a dime, he dialed a number.

Rey hid herself behind a wall as she heard him say, "Kaydel, it's me. We have a problem. He swiped at Palpatine, who now wants him killed. If we want to continue our research, we need to get him out stat. He'll be dead within seventy-two hours."

He paused as the speaker said something. Afterward, he responded, "Fine, I'll get him right before the surgery. I'll sneak him out if you'll have something ready in two days. Goodbye, my love."

As Mitaka hung up and headed to his office, Rey began running in the opposite direction, toward her cart, preparing herself to clean up more blood. Her mission had suddenly become clear, and she began forming a desperate plan. If Kylo would be killed in three days or kidnapped in two days for other research, then that left only her to take care of him properly, to avoid all injury or prevent them taking him away from his natural home, not to mention her. She would have to break him out herself, before Mitaka.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Pulled into the Current

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey recruits Finn for help, and Snoke is creepy.

_“Baby I'm your man … ”_

"I'm a little stressed right now, Rey. I need some moral support," said Finn, on edge.

"Me, too. I need your help. I need you to help me get Kylo out," signed Rey.

"Get him out? What - what you talking about? No, absolutely not," said a frantic Finn as he started to pace. 

Rey's crestfallen face made Finn feel guilty as she asked why not. Finn had been sitting at home, relaxing with his fat cat - Beebee - when he had gotten an urgent phone call from Maz's facility. That was the moment he got dragged into the current called life, and Rey's pleading eyes were _not _helping. 

"Because it's breaking the law, that's why," said Finn, exasperated before mumbling, "It's probably breaking the law just talking about it.” Attempting to pull hair out of his head, he added more loudly, “And why do we even need to break your friend out? Doesn't he just work there like you do?"

"No," signed Rey, taking her turn to look guilty. 

"What do you mean? Rey … what aren't you telling me about him?" asked Finn, giving his friend a look and sitting her down.

"Kylo lives at the lab."

"So he's a nerd? That's fine. Or is there more to him?" asked Finn skeptically, drawing closer.

"He's not human," signed Rey slowly. "He looks part amphibian and is the main experiment at the lab right now."

"What?"

Finn stood up and paced more. When he finally had coherent words, he threw his hands out before scratching his head. 

"So you mean to tell me that all this time, this guy that you've been listening to music and eating lunch with every day is in fact some sort of alien breed-"

"He lived in the Amazon River. He has gray skin and red veins that glow. He's sculpted like a Greek god and beautiful. You'd love drawing him," replied Rey.

"That's crazy! Something like that can't be real-"

Rey pulled out the Polaroid she had taken during the art week. The camera had been difficult to sneak in since it was so big, but it had worked. RIght now, she was grateful to have it.

"Never mind. I just, I can't. How is this even possible?" asked Finn, staring at the photo.

He saw their smiling faces. It killed him seeing Rey look so joyful. She deserved better than a sea monster, but love was blind and could cross any barrier. It was more powerful than any lack of communication or action, and it seemed to be healing Rey. She wasn't one to rock the boat; the fact that she was suggesting breaking a science experiment out of her work was astounding. 

"He's alone. All alone," signed Rey, looking sad.

Finn gave her a hard look, as though asking her why she would say that around the two of them.

"Oh, he's alone," said Finn sarcastically, putting his hands up to his face in mock-horror. "Oh. Does this mean that whenever we go to a Chinese restaurant, that you want to save every fish in the tank? So what, he's alone. We're all alone," he returned, not convinced. 

"He's the loneliest thing you've ever seen," replied Rey, eyes pleading and hands flying.

"See, you just said it. You called it a thing. It's a freak."

"No. Say what I sign," demanded Rey, glaring at him.

"I can understand you," said Finn, scoffing and about to turn away.

She tugged on his shirt before signing, "You're not hearing me. Repeat what I say. Repeat it!"

"Calm down!" said Finn, pressing his left hand against hers. As she continued to ask him to say what she signed, he finally gave in and said, "Alright, I'll repeat it to you." 

Satisfied, Rey stood back and gave an indignant look as she signed, "What am I?"

Finn repeated it, adding on what she said afterward, her face more serious. "I move my mouth, like him. I make no sound, like him."

Rey pounded her hands together a little too much, making Finn sigh, but he continued to repeat her.

"What does that make me?"

Something small within Finn felt for Rey in that moment. Those similarities spoke volumes for Rey, who had always struggled with what she was, and he knew it. To find someone like her was unusual. Add in the shared interests, and it was almost heartbreaking to imagine them hurting Rey like that.

Rey's eyes widened and became glassy. "All that I am - all that I've ever been - brought me here, to him."

Finn's face grew troubled at the last word. "See, you're saying him. It's a him now. It's a-ow!" he cried as she slapped his wrist before grabbing his clothing. "You just hit me! Rey, let go of me! I'm looking at you. I just, I can't believe you hit me!"

She sighed and looked apologetic for a moment before going back to explaining herself. Finn repeated the rest, another part of him feeling for her even more. 

"When he looks at me, the way he looks at me, he does not know what I lack or how I am incomplete. He sees me for what I am, as I am. He's happy to see me everytime, everyday. And now, I can either save him or let him die."

He took a big breath, feeling bad that he couldn't help. He was too afraid. 

"I'm leaving."

She grabbed him again, and he nimbly maneuvered away from her death grip, saying, "I have to work. I have a real job now. I'm almost legitimate. I can't give it up now for something that probably won't work! I have to go. I'm sorry, Rey. When I come back, we won't discuss this ever again - hey!" 

Rey shoved his back, making him turn around and face her one last time. 

"What are we? What are you and I? Do you know what we are? We are _nothing _. We _are_and _can do _nothing," said Finn, trying to sound brave. When he saw her growing anger, he lost his nerve and turned around, babbling, "I'm sorry, but it's not even human."

"He doesn't deserve this," she signed.

"Rey, breaking something out of a high security place like your lab is crazy. All that for a creature? No."

"You don't understand!" she signed frantically. 

"No, _you _don't understand," returned Finn. "This is not open to discussion. _I'm _not doing anything. _We're _not doing anything."

Finn opened Rey's door and stormed down the hallway. Rey made a fist and pounded on the wall next to her, gaining his attention.

Whirling to face Rey, Finn asked accusingly, "What?"

"If you won't help me, then don't come back," signed Rey stubbornly, looking upset. "You'll only abandon me again."

Finn held up his hands. "Rey, don't be like that." When he saw the set line in her features, he sighed. "Fine. It's probably better I see Maz right now alone anyway. She just had a heart attack, and they think she's going to die. Goodbye, Rey."

Rey slammed her door and slumped onto her sofa, crying for Maz and her situation. She tried to figure out how she could carry out her plan on her own, how she could move the cart and get Kylo dressed up to appear normal on the bus with her instead of having Finn drive them.

Meanwhile, Finn made his way to the place where Maz lived. When he got there, she was weak and barely able to talk. 

"Look, Maz. Your son is here," said a nurse, welcoming him in. 

"Finn?" asked Maz, her whisper scaring Finn into rushing toward her faster.

"I'm here, Mama Maz."

"You're not Finn," mumbled Maz, peering up at him. "My Finn is strong, a fighter."

"I'm right here!" groaned Finn in frustration. "Look into my eyes."

"I'm looking into the eyes of someone who wants to run away from his problems. I didn't raise any son of mine like that," said Maz, leaning back and closing her eyes.

Finn blushed and felt ashamed at being called out by her, even in her old age and without any knowledge of what just happened. She always knew somehow. "I'm sorry, but this is me. I wasn't here earlier because I had an argument with my friend."

"You're running away from your friend. Friends … are good. Hold on to them," said Maz, tugging at his shirt lightly to make him stare at her. When she had his attention, she finished, saying, "They're the only way we find love and belonging, or have interesting stories later. Don't be afraid to love."

She gave him a pleading look, and Finn understood what she wanted. He would treat it like her last wish. 

"Good night, Maz. I love you," said Finn, clutching her hands. 

At that, Maz closed her eyes and fainted back into her bed. Finn knelt and cried over his foster mother until no more tears would come. That was when the nurse came back.

"Would you like us to call you when she wakes back up?"

"Please. I'm so worried she won't," he said, seeing her pale skin.

"She's still breathing. There's hope for her yet," said the nurse kindly. "C'mon, she wouldn't want you weeping over her. She'd want you out there, living your life to the fullest. Where's the rest of your family and friends?"

"I, uh, don't have many," he said, thinking out loud. "It's really quite sad. But I'm lucky I still have one friend who has always believed in me."

With that, he made his way home, ready to assist Rey. Rey was just lying down after taking a frustrating bath - alone, but still imagining Kylo underneath her without finding relief - when she heard banging on her door. Thinking it was Plutt, she put on her bathrobe and shuffled to the door, shocked to see Finn.

"I have no one. And you are the only person that I can talk to. Now, whatever this thing is, you need it." 

Rey choked on a sob as Finn hugged her.

"Give me the skinny on how we can save him. I'm your man."

"Thank you," she signed as she pulled away, tears in her eyes. "How is Maz?"

"She was breathing when I left, but I don't think she'll make it through the night. If we get any calls, ignore them. I'm not ready to hear she died yet."

Rey hugged him again as her mind raced. Suddenly, she wasn't tired anymore, and she began making some food for the two of them. As she cooked, she began telling him her plan.

"Shift turnover is at six in the morning. It's very dead, and no one will be around."

"How, exactly, do you propose to get him out of there?" asked Finn as he sat down, tired but curious.

"With the daily laundry basket. Can you find a white van and paint it with the name of our laundry company?" asked Rey.

"Of course I can! I'll do you one better: I'll drive the van and make a fake ID card to get in there," said Finn, excited to use skills he had developed growing up in a shady car shop. "I've always wanted to drive the getaway car."

Rey grinned at him and nodded, glad that she didn't have to ask. He was getting into it already by the miracle that was Maz. After that, she served them some breakfast, and she continued to share her plan. 

"You will arrive with the van at six. I'll move the security cameras out of the way so they can't see you driving or me pushing the cart. I'm going to steal keys from Mitaka or Snoke to free Kylo."

"Once he's free, you're putting him in the laundry basket, giving him to me, and then we escape," confirmed Finn. "That doesn't sound nearly as scary and crazy as I thought it'd be."

Rey gave him a look asking him if he was serious, and he caved. "Fine, it's super scary. But the preparation looks like fun! I'll get started on it and have a new disguise ready for when you wake up.”

“Without the dreads?” suggested Rey, giving his long, gnarly dreadlocks a withering glance.

“What? No. I love these things. They make me unique and help me stand out from other musicians. You trying to kill my career, Rey?” he joked, repeating the line again for at least the one thousandth time. 

She responded in the same way. “Yes. Let the past die. Kill it if you have to. Just cut the dreadlocks already.”

Finn laughed before sobering up. “Are you scared?"

"Terrified," she signed. "However, I think I’m falling in love with him. Plus, I'll finally be able to screw over Snoke for all that he's done to me."

"That's right!" shouted Finn, raising a fist high. "Give it to the man! I'm going to love doing that to him."

Rey grinned at his enthusiasm but grew more quiet as she wondered what would happen after Kylo was free. "Even if Kylo leaves me, at least he'll be free of all the torture he received at Snoke’s hands."

"What did the reaper do to him?" asked Finn, almost afraid to ask.

Rey described the unspeakable horrors of images that Kylo had shown her, of beatings, electrocution, shots fired, and more. With each additional word, Finn felt more for Kylo.

"And this thing never once showed an injury?"

Hurt by Finn's way of describing Kylo, she raised an eyebrow, and he corrected himself. "He. Kylo. He never showed an injury until twenty-four hours ago?"

She nodded, her face becoming troubled. Then she signed, "I hope you never have to see Maz or myself like that. It broke my heart."

"You'll never have to worry about that, Rey. I promise," said Finn, noticing Rey yawn. "Alright, off to bed with you. I'll croon and lull you away to happy dreams with Kylo."

She embraced him gratefully before dropping onto her makeshift bed. As she closed her eyes, Finn sang, "Once there was a way to get back homeward. Once there was a way to get back home. Sleep, pretty darling. Do not cry! And I will sing a lullaby."

Rey wiggled and squeezed his hand since he knew how much she loved the Beatles, even if they had broken up. She had big plans to introduce Kylo to all of their music over the course of a week, when she was ready to share something so personal with him.

"Golden slumbers fill your eyes. Smiles awake you when you rise. Sleep, pretty darling. Do not cry! And I will sing a lullaby."

Soon, Rey was asleep, and Finn made his way back to his room to make phone calls. Soon he had a van, the black paint, and a model to work from in order to create his masterpiece of a van and fake ID card. 

\-----------------------

In another part of the city, Mitaka called his secret girlfriend.

"What's your plan for helping me escape with Kylo, Kaydel?"

"Snap should be visiting within the hour with something called Israeli Popper. It was used a lot back in the day, but it's still effective and cheap. It'll knock out the power for ten minutes so you can break in and get Kylo free. We're in the process of getting a van ready for you. We'll have a driver ready as well.” 

"When I go in tomorrow, I'll go in and ensure that the procedure is still set for two days from now. I'll call if there's a snag."

"Good. Thank you, Doppie."

"Why do you call me that?" he asked, blushing and pulling back his collar.

"Because it's sweet, just like you. Just be careful the next couple days. And, if you see any other help, don't be afraid to take it. The main thing is getting Kylo to safety."

"Of course," said Mitaka, thinking of Rey. "I know someone who might be willing."

\----------

When Rey awoke, she felt different. She couldn't explain why, but something about her felt different from when she woke up yesterday. It wasn't until she examined her upper right arm in the mirror as she dressed that she noticed the mark that Kylo had left on her when he first touched her skin, shaped like two hands reaching for one another. It had already scabbed over, almost like a scar. It was his mark on her, just like the red mark on his face that she had left when she first traced the lines of his face. He had permanently etched this upon her skin, and she gladly bore it from him. He had touched her soul in a way no one ever had or would, and she would risk losing her job and even death to set him free of his pain. 

As she thought of him, her plans from the day before came buzzing back, and she dressed hastily, glad that she had made her lunch while making food for her and Finn. Once she had what she needed, she found Finn, who was hard at work at painting a card for access and identification. She had given him hers to replicate, and he had done a bang-up job of making it identical, other than his name and other essentials.

The biggest difference, of course, was his hair. 

Finn turned around to show off the haircut he had gotten, and Rey clapped happily that the dreadlocks were gone. "So professional and stylish," she signed, complimenting his new style. "Neat and short works well. Almost like an afro."

"I figured they wouldn’t question this look as much," said Finn with a shrug. "I still don't like giving up my dreads, but I'll grow them out again. You're more important."

She grinned and gave him a hug. Then she signed, "Maybe your manager and adoring public will love your new look."

"Doubtful, but thanks for trying. You ready for this?" he asked.

"Yes," she signed. She was shocked her hands didn't waver.

"So much could go wrong. I'm scared out of my wits. How are you not scared?" he asked nervously.

"I am," she replied, grimacing. "But I'm hopeful."

"You're brilliant, and the plan is good. It should be fine…. Until it isn't," he said, making her elbow him playfully. "Alright, alright, I know the plan. I'm synchronizing my watch just like James Bond would do. I'll be there at six."

"Thank you," she signed before hugging him one more time. "I'll see you there."

"You better be there and ready to break him out! I'm coming for you!" he said as they walked her out. "I can do this. I can do this," he said.

"_ We _can do this," she corrected with a small smile. "Together."

"We're always a team. Right, Rey?"

She nodded, and he headed to sleep while avoiding the second phone call from Maz’s facility. 

\----------------------

Rey's bus ride was too slow, but eventually she got there.

"Girl, why are you so tense?" asked Rose as soon as she saw Rey walk through the door. "You're early. Something's up."

"I slept horribly," signed Rey as she clocked in with Rose. Phasma gave them both a dirty look, but they politely ignored her. "I'm worried about Kylo."

"Why? So he got chained up. It probably wasn't his first time, and won't be his last."

"They're going to kill him and dissect him!" replied Rey, hands moving wildly.

"But it's for science! His blood and DNA could help us," argued Rose as they entered the women's locker room.

"Not at the cost of his life! They could take small parts of him and let him heal. Let him live."

"Aww, Rey, you have it bad for him," said Rose before realization dawned on Rose's face.

Rey gulped as Rose dragged her into a corner nearby and hissed, "Have you been spending time with him all this time? Instead of hanging out with me?" 

Rey looked away guiltily and nodded.

"I knew it! You always stare at the thing - him - whatever," she said when Rey glared at her. 

"His name is Kylo. He likes hard-boiled eggs, and he loves David Bowie's music. He has feelings, and he has been brutally tortured by Snoke. I refuse to let it continue," said Rey, stomping a foot and standing tall and firm. 

Rose gave her best friend a once-over, impressed by Rey’s inner strength.

"You go, girl! If you care about him, then you should stand up for him. If you want me to be your interpreter, I will," said Rose, awed and proud of her friend. "Want to find Snoke now?"

"He already told Mitaka no, and he's the best scientist here. Plus, Palpatine ordered him to be killed."

"Palpatine? As in, the tyrant who came yesterday, was rushed off the premises under suspicious circumstances to a hospital, and was announced to be in critical condition this morning on the news?" asked Rose in a whisper-yell. 

Rey's mouth opened as she considered that. She hadn't checked the news due to all her planning. No matter. With all the new medicine and money he had, Palpatine was sure to live, however much she didn't want him to. She nodded in response.

That was when Rey got an idea, one she hated but saw merit in if it kept Kylo alive. "What if Kylo could heal him?" 

Rose's eyes widened.

"I bet he could! Let's go save Kylo," said Rose as the two finished dressing.

Rey explained all that she saw the day before as they rushed to Snoke's office, where he was pacing furiously. 

"He doesn't want to see anyone right now, especially lowly help," sneered Bazine. "Go."

"Just because you couldn't make him relax out back and didn't get something is no reason to prevent him from doing his job," said Rose, earning a hateful look from Bazine. "Tell him he needs to speak to us. Tell him it's about helping the General. He'll want to speak to us."

The secretary scoffed but called him.

"What? I told you I didn't want to be bothered by you and your silly begging for attention," said Snoke coarsely.

"The help want to speak to you. They say they have an idea for helping General Palpatine."

"Send them up at once."

Bazine stared in shock at the intercom as the two walked up the stairs triumphantly. 

"Ladies, this is a surprise. Please, sit," said Snoke, eyeing both a moment before settling on Rey. "What brings you here?"

"I heard on the news that General Palpatine is in serious condition-"

"He's on the verge of dying. I just heard word from the hospital," said Snoke, looking visibly upset. "If he does, it'll all be blamed on us."

"Of course. We'd likely lose our jobs. But as I was telling Rey all this, she had a brilliant idea! What if we use the new asset to heal him?"

Snoke laughed long and hard, the first time anyone had ever seen him laugh. After he had slapped the desk, he recovered and pulled himself together. In a serious tone, he replied, "While I would normally agree with you, that won't work here since the asset caused this. Also, I doubt the general would allow it."

Both women pretended to look shocked at both pieces of information.

"Thank you for trying to save our prestigious laboratory’s name. Your efforts are appreciated, especially yours, Rey," said Snoke smoothly. "I think you ought to visit me later when Mitaka is here. We can combine our brains to think of some other way to save our benefactor."

Rey nodded, inwardly disgusted by the thought. Instead, as Rose tried to rush her out at seeing her look of determination, Rey stopped at the door and spelled out the F-word twice with a grin. She had been wanting to tell him "screw you" for far too long.

"What did she say?" asked Snoke pleasantly.

"She, ah, she said thank you for the opportunity. We'll be back later," said Rose, trying to maintain a straight face. 

Snoke nodded and dismissed them. Rey regretted not grabbing Snoke’s keys then, but she planned to steal them off his desk when she visited the next time.

When Rey finally entered the Green Room with Rose, Rey couldn't help but notice that Kylo didn't bother hiding from Rose. She was a little in awe at how unafraid he was and wished she could do the same. As soon as the door closed, he stood up and made the sign for water, greeting Rey with a smile. Rey returned the gesture with a goofy grin, and Rose stared in surprise. 

"Rey, I thought you just had _feelings _for him. I didn't realize you _loved _him."

Rey paused to consider Rose's words and refused to believe her best friend was right, even if she was ready to go to such depths for him. She nodded and gave Kylo a huge grin before the women began their cleaning. 

Rose was shocked to discover that Kylo was much more human than she liked to admit. The way he stared longingly at Rey as she cleaned, the way he splashed water at her whenever she was close, and the possessive arm he put around Rey before she left were enough to make Rose reconsider everything she knew about Kylo. Rey clearly loved him, and he seemed just as devoted to her. It was crazy, but they seemed so connected and happy. 

It was the first time she had seen Rey so truly happy. She wished she hadn't been so critical of Kylo before so that she would've known sooner. No doubt Rey had hid it because of her clear dislike and fear. Rose wished she hadn't been so thoughtless and considered Rey's guarded responses related to Kylo more. 

Later that day, Rey and Rose were called to Snoke's office by Hux. His look of disdain was evident as he stopped in front of Rey's cart.

"I can't believe I've sunk so low as to become a messenger boy to get _you two _of all people," said Hux. "The least important, least educated-ow!"

Rey pretended to slip off her cart, forcing it to slam forward and crush Hux's feet and knock the wind out of him.

"You idiot-"

"Hey, she didn't mean it! She was just trying to listen to you," said Rose, taking Rey's arm. "She wasn't paying attention to the cart. Where are we going?"

"To Snoke. He wants to speak to you."

Hux limped all the way up four floors and across the long hallway to Snoke's office. He left for ice as soon as the girls were inside with Snoke and Mitaka.

Without preamble, Snoke said, "General Palpatine is on his deathbed. The skin surrounding the area where he had been touched by the asset is now black. I just peeled off the bandages on my hands because I had been smelling something odd. It turns out my skin is turning dark brown."

"Fascinating," said Mitaka, coming forward to inspect it until Snoke glared at him and pushed him away.

"Imbecile!" he roared. "This is bad. This is worse than bad. We have tried everything for the General-"

"But we haven't tried reversing it with the asset," said Rose. "Draw some blood or something, or whatever it is you researchers do. Just inject the general with it."

"Their blood isn't compatible. I already checked," said Snoke, looking upset. "That's why you're here."

"You thought of that?" asked Mitaka, looking impressed. 

"No, I wish. Rey did," said Rose, patting her friend's shoulder. 

Mitaka looked impressed as Snoke hurried them on. "That's fine, but we still need a solution. What could we test on me quickly so as to help the General? We have less than six hours based on the last doctor's estimate."

Rey found it amusing that Snoke was ready to have it be tested on him, no doubt to help himself as well. The thought of helping him was distasteful, but if it meant saving Kylo….

"Maybe you should drink some of his blood? I bet the natives did that," said Rose, more to fill the void than giving a legitimate answer. 

Rey wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of the suggestion, but both Snoke and Mitaka considered it carefully. After the two scientists argued about it for a time, it was decided against doing such a thing. Snoke shot down three ideas from Mitaka. By the end, both of them were raising their voices, and Snoke moved to the door in order to yell at Mitaka in closer proximity. As they did, Rey moved to Snoke's desk. She had been sneaking peeks at Snoke's desk all day, trying to find his key. In the middle of arguing against Rose's idea, he shoved some papers aside, revealing the key. At that, Rey inched closer and closer to the desk, waiting for the opportune moment to steal the single key. 

"Well, if you don't like any of my ideas-"

"Because they're stupid and won't work-"

Rey leaned against Snoke's desk casually, her hand landing on the key as her eyes stayed focused on the men. Mitaka was incensed, angrier than she had ever seen him. The fact that he was even standing up to Snoke was a sure sign that he had gotten tired of Snoke’s ways and cared about Kylo more.

Mitaka drew himself up to his full height. "Then you should think of some better ideas, or just an idea in general! Do you even have an independent idea of your own, or do you just steal from everyone instead?"

Snoke blustered. “Why, you-"

Rey snatched the key and covered her eyes in one sweeping motion in order to avoid seeing Snoke slap Mitaka twice.

Rose cringed and laid a comforting hand on Rey when Rey scurried over to her. 

"I had ideas before you were even born! Consider that next time before you try to speak up for once, you sniveling, spineless weasel. You're just suggesting those things because you don't want the asset to die. He's dying, whether you like it or not. If I were you-"

Rey was standing between Rose and Snoke's desk. He had a glass of water perched on a corner, and Rey accidentally bumped into it. She had had to restrain herself from choking Snoke at hearing his proclamation. Rose had seen it as well and had helped her, but it let one hand swing out, knocking the glass over.

"All of you, out of here this instant. Except you, Rey," said Snoke, pointing to her. 

Rey froze in terror, thinking she had been caught. Rose sensed her fear, and she tried to help.

"Do you want me to stay to translate?"

"No. What I have to say requires no verbal response from her," said Snoke, grinning slightly.

"Then I'll just wait for you by Bazine," said Rose, rubbing Rey's back encouragingly. "See you soon."

As the two left, Snoke ordered Rey, "Clean that up. You can't just make messes and expect to get away with it, even if I know why you did so."

Rey knelt quickly, not wanting her guilty face to show, but she had to pause yet again at the familiar tone of his voice. She didn't understand how he could sound so pleased if he knew her true intentions.

As she used a hand brush to sweep the glass pieces into a bucket, Snoke took several steps until he was standing behind her, watching her work. She felt his presence and wandering eyes all over her, he remaining creepily silent. 

When she was almost done, he said, "I don't care for Mitaka, either. He _is _spineless, but he isn't useless. If I had said much more, though, he could have used my words against me and stolen the asset from me. Thank you for preventing me from losing my cool." He knelt down in front of her before continuing, "I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams for dropping that glass. I saw the way you eyed me and my desk earlier. You want the same thing I do."

A hand snaked behind her ear and pulled several bangs loose. When his hand slid down her neck, she gasped and jumped back, afraid of the darkness that was confronting her.

"No need to fear, Rey. There's no one watching us now," said Snoke, a predatory grin on his face. "I'll give you pleasure the likes of which you've never known before. I can give you a quickie on that desk that you were admiring so much earlier. I've always wondered: do you really make no noise?"

She swept up the last of the glass and made to stand. His hand tried to hold her head down, but he only succeeded in pulling some of her hair loose from her buns.

"I'll take that as a no. I've heard that some mute people squawk. I know I can make you squawk," he said, grinning smugly. "Want to try now?"

She shook her head and got up before he could respond. She pointed to the downstairs.

"I see. Your friend is waiting. It would be suspicious. Another time then," he said, waving her out. 

She rushed out the door, calling him a dick as he left. He just sat down smugly. 

A shaky Rey made it to Rose and the bathroom in record time. Rey wanted to bathe her mind and body in bleach, as disgusted as she was by Snoke's proposition. She only rejoiced when she verified she still had Kylo's key. Shortly after that, she moved the security camera by the loading dock into the needed position, and then she went to join Rose in last minute cleaning for the day.

Meanwhile, Mitaka decided to make one last plea to Snoke. He walked up the stairs to the open door when he heard a phone ring. He stopped to listen, just out of sight.

"This is Snoke. What?" he yelled, slamming a fist on his desk. "What do you mean the general died a few minutes ago? I see. Thank you for the courtesy call."

Mitaka gulped and was about to go up when he heard Snoke ring his intercom.

"Bazine, call the surgeons. We're moving up the asset’s dissection to this morning, as soon as they can arrive. He must be killed at once, all evidence of him removed from our records."

"Right away, sir."

Mitaka wasted no time in finding a phone. He had to make a call before he pretended ignorance and made one last request to save Kylo. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! Fulcrum_of_pemberley thanks for catching the error!


	7. Diving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Finn break Kylo out with a little help. Finn also meets Rose and Kylo.

_ “Love of two is one. _

_ Here but now they're gone.” _

"Resistance Labs, how may I help you?"

"Kaydel, we have a big problem."

Her voice over the phone changed dramatically from pleasant and upbeat to serious.

"What happened?"

"General Palpatine visited us yesterday, was injured by Kylo, and just died from those wounds. Snoke wants to kill him as soon as the surgeons can arrive to scavenge what they can before getting rid of all evidence of him."

"Oh no."

"I need a way to get him off the premises now, Kaydel. Tell me you found something."

"Not yet. Do you have the package from Snap?"

Mitaka shut his eyes and prayed. "Yes, I do, but something else has to be done in coordination with it."

"Tranquilize him and sneak him out to your car," suggested Kaydel, pulling at straws as she panicked.

"Tranquilizing him will be necessary, but I'm not that strong."

"Get help. There has to be someone who could be paid to help you," said Kaydel. "Tell them we'll pay them well once Kylo is delivered."

"I'll try," he said, resigned to his fate. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, Doppie. I'll be ready for you."

"I just hope I can leave this place soon. It gives me the heebie jeebies," he said. "I always feel like I'm being watched."

With that, he went in search of Snoke. Thankfully, he was still pacing and yelling instructions at his phone and Hux.

"You! Where have you been?" asked Snoke when Mitaka arrived.

"Eating lunch. Have you changed your mind?"

"No," said Snoke flatly, glaring at him. "Our course is determined now. General Palpatine is dead. We're killing the asset as soon as our examiners can arrive, less than three hours or so."

"After shift turnover is wise. Less people will be around to question it," said Mitaka, glancing at the clock. Turnover is only an hour away."

"Yes. Everything has been lined up-"

"Shall I tranquilize the asset now?" asked Mitaka, hoping to escape. 

"Actually, that's a good idea. He won't fuss until he's on the table, and then we can listen to him scream as he's given the death he deserves: for science."

Mitaka hated the cold, calculating gleam in Snoke's eyes, but he nodded and made his way out to find a needle and tranquilizer. He was almost to the Green Room when he noticed Rose and Rey by the entrance. Rey looked dejected, and Rose was failing to comfort her.

"We should get going, Rey. There's nothing else we can do here."

Rey shook her head and said something, resulting in Rose responding, "Fine, if you want to say your last goodbye, I'll let you do it alone. You probably need it. I’m not waiting for you."

Rose left with both carts, and Rey's face transformed as soon as Rose disappeared onto an elevator. Mitaka watched curiously to see just what Rey planned to do, as it seemed that she did intend to do something. Why else would she grab a laundry basket that just happened to be there? There was nothing for laundering there.

As soon as the door closed, he went to an attached lab to watch. He knelt down to see if he was the only one worried for Kylo. He wasn't prepared for what he saw.

\----------

Rey wheeled the hotel-sized laundry basket into the room, and as soon as the door closed, Kylo was standing up. For a moment, he paused at seeing something other than her cart, but he was far more interested in  _ her.  _

No one had ever looked at her with such single-minded interest before. His gaze could be unnerving, and yet, it was far more accepting of her than anyone else had ever been. Now, as she strode closer, she saw images cross her mind, no doubt from Kylo as they greeted one another with the water sign.

She saw herself, twirling with a mop and bucket. She felt his anticipation for her almost daily visits, and his concern when she didn't come earlier. He had been worried just before she had come, and she was concerned now. It didn't take long for him to pick up on her anxiety, and soon his hand was reaching out to her, as though to soothe her. She eagerly went forward, taking his hand before sliding a hand up his cheek, along the line - her mark on him - that she had left. When her eyes met his, he seemed pleased to have her there, especially when his webbed hands found his mark. 

She traced his lips, loving their feel. They were plump and soft from being underwater, and the memory of the day before came back to her with stunning clarity. Something else did, too: desire. It swirled in her stomach, made her movements heavy, and found her stepping into the pool just to be closer to him. Kylo noticed her loose hair, and he ran his hand through it. Rey felt herself being cleansed from Snoke’s poisonous touch by Kylo, and so she offered the back of her head to him, showing him how to undo the three buns. She saw his question through images since he had always seen her with hair pulled back tightly. All the same, she felt his curiosity distinctly, and soon he freed all her hair until it hung loosely behind her. He smelled her strawberry shampoo before running jealous hands through it, wanting to feel every inch of it, to know another facet of Rey.

When he had his fill, she turned to face him once more, noting his increasing interest. Kylo's other hand pulled her head forward, and she dove into the kiss with a fire and passion tinged with fear. There was always a chance one of them could get injured, or worse, caught. The worst consequence was that one of them could die as a result of her actions. The fear of the unknown made her scramble to loop her arms around his neck and kiss him fiercely, showing him just how much she cared and missed him. 

When she pulled back to breathe, she saw his awed look, and she knew she was doing the right thing. She brought out Snoke's key, and Kylo chittered, surprised to see it. She saw his memories of how the key had been used in the past to chain and unchain him. She smiled encouragingly before making a circle with a finger. He turned his back to her dutifully, and she removed the sole chain on him, the restraint around his neck. As soon as the chain and neck brace dropped onto the ledge, Kylo swept her into his arms like she weighed nothing and stepped out of the pool. Soon, he was kneeling and playing with her jumper hem, mimicking her movements when she tried to dry it off from his splashing. She grinned and let him for a moment before pulling his arm toward the basket.

He looked at her, confused, and she wished she had taught him more of her language. She decided to use the bond they had, and so she showed him images of what she imagined happening, of him climbing into the basket, her wheeling him out, and them being picked up and dropped off at her home to be together. 

She loved the idea of them just sitting on her sofa together like a couple, snuggled into one another. She dwelt on that image for a moment, the sense of satisfaction and rightness filling her. When a drop of water from him landed on her, it sent her mind to another dream she had for them, of them lying in her bathtub together, she spread out on top of him. 

Before she knew it, Kylo was pulling free, climbing into the basket without hesitation, and covering himself in the laundry. She grinned and headed toward the door at the back of the room, the one that led to the service tunnel. She was almost there when she heard a door open. She froze.

"Miss Rey, please wait."

She let out a heavy breath at hearing Mitaka's voice. When she faced him, she was surprised to see him smile.

"I take it you have a plan for getting Kylo to safety?"

She nodded. He heaved a sigh of relief.

"Are you aware that Palpatine is dead, and that they're moving up the procedure to kill him later today?"

Her shocked look told him all he needed to know.

"I don't understand what exists between you two, but I want to help. Don't leave this room yet. I have been instructed by Snoke to tranquilize Kylo; I'll go back and tell him that it has been completed. In fifteen minutes, the power will go out. Then, you should escape. Is that enough time?"

She looked at the clock and saw that it would only be a quarter to six. She went to the clock and pointed to five minutes later with a pleading look. He understood and handed her a circular box.

"Very well. Ten minutes to six it is. Be ready to go. I'll try to distract him as you escape before meeting you at the loading dock. That is where the service tunnel goes. Make sure you put salt into his water when you get to safety, as well this box of chemicals. Good luck. Find me if you have questions later."

She held out her hand to shake, and he took it. He took Rey's liberated key and placed it in the normal spot where Snoke hung the key during torture sessions, to make it look less suspicious later. Then, he was out the door, still amazed that Rey had grown so close to Kylo that she could kiss and communicate with him without words. As he left the room, he went to an electrical outlet in a closet and set up the Israeli Popper to go off at the appointed time before finding Snoke.

\-----------

In another part of the building, Rose grew worried about Rey. It was five-thirty, and they were supposed to clock out then. Rey hadn't shown up in the locker room.

"I have a bad feeling about this," said Rose as she looked around. She was next in line. Sensing that Rey was up to something, she took Rey's punch card and clocked Rey out as well as herself before she went to the back of the building, asking the other support workers if they had seen Rey. She got to the loading dock just as all power in the building was lost. When that happened, she readied herself for whatever Rey was planning.

\-----------------

Meanwhile, in another part of the building, Snoke paced in his office. He only stopped when he had company. 

"Well? Is the asset secured?" asked Snoke impatiently.

"Yes. All is ready."

Mitaka was acting unlike himself, standing so stiff and unyielding, but Snoke was too concerned with keeping himself out of trouble to notice. 

"Good. You are dismissed. Soon, we can both leave this lab and move on to better uses of our time."

"Thank you. Have you filled out all the paperwork for the dissection?"

"No," Snoke said, looking up briefly. "Send Hux in with the necessary papers."

Once Snoke had Hux and the paperwork, Mitaka made his way to the loading dock, knowing the time was upon them. Snoke was in the middle of filling out papers when he happened to look up at one of the security cameras in his room. This one was focused on the back entrance gate, where a laundry van was pulling up.

"Hux, is laundry scheduled for today?"

"What?" replied Hux, looking up and seeming shocked. "No, it's not. That's most peculiar."

"It is," said Snoke. He went to his phone and tried to call the gate guard who was talking to the van driver, but when the guard didn't answer, he took matters into his own hands. Picking up a gun from inside his desk and grabbing his cattle prod, he said, "Let's go to the loading dock and take care of this van ourselves, shall we?"

For being so old and wrinkly, Snoke was surprisingly fast. Hux was cursing under his breath as he tried to keep up, limping from earlier. They were running down the hall when the lights went out.

\--------------

Inside the Green Room, Rey opened the service tunnel door. Staring down the dimly lit hall, she screwed up her courage and took the final dive into committing robbery, walking slowly down the long hallway. Halfway there, the lights went out, and she began sprinting. When she made it to the dock, Rose was there with her hands on her hips. 

"What are you doing? What - or rather who - is in that basket?"

Rey put a hand over her heart.

"That is not a good enough reason to steal from work!" Rose hissed. "Do you want to go to jail?"

"He should be allowed to be free, to have his own life, just like us," signed Rey. "Why should he die alone? We can save him."

Her fears for Rey were blotted out by the deep feeling Rey showed. If Rey wanted it that bad, then she would help her friend. "How?" 

"What are you two doing here, dallying? Where's your escape route?" asked Mitaka, jogging to them.

" _ He  _ is helping you?"

"And Finn," signed Rey, pointing to the van that was being stopped by the guard.

Mitaka saw the delay and decided to do something about it. He pulled out the tranquilizer from earlier and ran toward the guard with all his might, determined to help Kylo.

\------------

Finn drove the van up to the lab gates. At first, he acted like he was James Bond, on a secret mission to do the right thing. It had worked until he actually saw the lab. At that point, he broke out in a cold sweat and kept saying, "Okay. Stay calm, stay calm."

Rey wasn't there to tell him that she was calm, and he was fine with that. Laughter wouldn't help him here. He needed to be serious; that was why he kept his special ID card on the front seat beside him, ready for questions. 

When he finally got to the gate, he greeted the guard and handed him his card. The guard took the card, and at that point, Finn began to freak out. 

"You don't know many other people who come here at this hour to help you get rid of your laundry, do you?" asked Finn, trying to be conversational and play it cool.

Unfortunately, it didn't help his cause.

"No, they never come at this hour," said the guard, giving him a suspicious look.

"Sorry, that's my fault!" cried Finn, ready for this question. "They didn't tell me when to arrive to get your stuff. I promise I'll do better next time."

The guard continued to puzzle over the card, and when Finn saw the guard start to scratch at his penmanship, he began to freak out. Soon, his worst fear came to light.

"I'm going to need you to step out of the van," said the guard, giving him a wary look. 

"Wait, why? What's wrong?" asked Finn. "I swear I've been John Boyega my whole life."

"Sir, I'm going to need you to step out of the vehicle. This identification is not valid," said the guard, stepping up to the window.

Finn began to panic and hope that Rey had another way to get him in. He tried distraction. "Why not? The company gave it to me," said Finn. "I swear I'm a citizen-"

"I don't care," said the guard. "We're not the government. Step out of the vehicle. Now."

Finn was about to do so when he saw a man come running at the guard. His face betrayed his fear of a crazy man coming forward, distracting the guard so that when Mitaka came forward and injected the guard’s neck with the tranquilizer, the guard never stood a chance.

As the guard fainted forward, Mitaka took hold of him and hissed at Finn, "Go. She's waiting for you at the dock with Kylo. Hurry, before someone spots you. Go, now!"

"I'm going!" shouted Finn, pressing on the accelerator and taking off. 

Soon, he backed up in front of the loading dock, and he was shocked to see Rey getting even more help. This had to be Rose, the best friend she always talked about since she had jet black hair and was tiny but mighty-looking. He left the van running and ran to the back, opening up the doors for Rey.

"I'm here and ready to be gone! You ready?"

"Finn! You made it!" signed Rey excitedly.

"Of course I did," said Finn, looking guilty for a second for knowing how close he had come to not making it. "I'm here for you, Rey."

"Just like me," said the second woman, smiling at him.

"Finn, this is Rose, my best female friend. Rose, this is Finn, my best male friend," signed Rey, looking between the two.

Truthfully, she was excited that they were finally meeting. The problem was that she didn't have time to do introductions properly.

"So, did you get sucked into this at the last possible second, too?" asked Finn.

Rose smiled and nodded at the truth of his statement. "Because I care about her happiness more than anything else," she replied. 

"Then we're going to get along great," said Finn, shaking Rose's hand. "I hope you'll come by and visit us once Kylo here is situated."

"I think I will," said Rose, smiling back at him. “Nice hair, by the way.”

"Move Kylo now; flirt later," signed Rey as she tried to pick Kylo up while Finn blushed. 

That was when Kylo stood up from being hidden among the sheets and stared at Finn, screeching protectively.

"Wow. He  _ is  _ beautiful," breathed Finn in awe.

Rey grinned before making the sign for Finn music and pointing at Finn. Then she made the sign for just Finn. Kylo looked between her and Finn before making an air guitar motion, and Rey made the sign for humming. At that, Finn hummed one of his favorite songs. As soon as Kylo heard the melody, he climbed into the van, along with Rey. Rose and Mitaka wished them well, and the two bystanders disappeared down the service tunnel just before Finn was pulling away from the dock. That was when Snoke and Hux appeared.

"Stop that van!" cried Snoke to the security guards, pulling out his gun and taking several shots at them. 

Distracted by the shots, Finn swerved, ramming into Snoke's black car, totaling it. He drove as fast as he could, swerving to avoid all shots Snoke made.

"Follow them!" Snoke yelled to the guards as Finn approached the exit.

Finn bashed into other security vehicles just past the exit, sending them backwards like billiard balls, ensuring no one could follow him. He sped to avoid more shots fired from security. Only when they couldn't hear shots did he celebrate. 

"Did you see that? Did you see that? We were there, but now we're gone! Booyah! Take that, evil dictator reaper guy with the gun! Who's in charge now? I am."

Rey just grinned and kept rubbing Kylo’s chest and hands to try to keep him awake. His breathing was shallow, and she knew she needed to get him into water as soon as she could. 

Snoke growled in frustration when the van escaped his reach. Stomping his foot petulantly, he turned to a dumbfounded Hux. 

"They turned off the power for a reason. Find out why. Make sure that the asset is safe. We could have just had a very targeted attack on our lab from another jealous lab, or the government trying to frame us."

When Hux didn't move, Snoke got even angrier.

"You idiotic, brown-nosing wimp! Why aren't you moving? Can't you see that we have an emergency on our hands? Are you or are you not the head of our security?"

"Yes, er, yes I am," said Hux, straightening up to move and cover the way his voice cracked at first.

"Good. Get your slow body and stupidly shiny head out of my sight. Your bald head disgusts me," said Snoke before turning around and heading back to the door. "I'm going to the Green Room."

For a moment, Hux looked crushed at having his idol say such things. In his resentment over Snoke's words, he trailed behind Snoke sullenly and became determined to go to a wig shop over the upcoming weekend to find something to hide his humiliation.

When the two arrived at the Green Room, Snoke yelled, "No!"

Hux didn't understand until he saw the chain and neck restraint resting on the pool's ledge. That was when he knew his days as head of security were numbered.

Snoke inspected the chains before kicking them into the water hatefully. When he turned around, he ordered, "See to it that every employee has their identification checked when they arrive at work for the next week. I want the culprit who stole the asset found. Until he is dead, we are liable for General Palpatine’s death."

"Of course, Sir. Right away," said Hux, rushing off. 

He was at the door when Snoke said, "How did they set the asset free?"

"The key? It is sitting on its normal spot," said Hux, slightly confused. 

"But wait, how?" cried Snoke, going to the key. "That's not possible! It was on my desk earlier today."

"Perhaps you were confusing it with yesterday?" asked Hux, trying to help his boss sound less like an idiot for losing his own key.

"Perhaps I was. No doubt they used it to set him free. They must have turned off the power and used the van to help the asset escape. Find out how they turned off the power," demanded Snoke.

"I'll find out now. Should I grab Mitaka to help us?" asked Hux. 

"Yes. He should be leaving now. Go," said Snoke as he picked the chain up from the water, only to slam it at the ledge.

As Hux rushed and grabbed Mitaka, Snoke went on a rampage, destroying everything in his path. 

Meanwhile, just outside Baltimore, Rey sighed in relief at seeing the familiar city buildings. She held Kylo's back against her front protectively, and his death grip loosened over the course of the drive as the need for water became greater.

When they finally arrived home, Finn helped Rey carry a passed out Kylo into Rey's bathtub. After adding the green salt and table salt, Kylo went from comatose to splashing the water at Rey, making her breathe easily. Finn watched the new neighbor with interest until Rey asked him to get his guitar to soothe Kylo.

Sure enough, the music put Kylo at ease, and he asked for more Finn music afterward. Finn was only too happy to have a larger audience. Right before he went to sleep, he got the fourth phone call from the senior home, and so he answered it. At least now he could talk about Maz with a clean conscience.

“Hi, this is Finn.”

“Finn! I’m so glad I finally caught you! Maz is awake and asking for you. When can you come visit?” 

“I, uh, I can come now. Thank you!” he cried before hanging up the phone joyfully and sharing the good news with Rey. 

When Finn left twenty minutes later, Rey stood up to leave for bed since the adrenaline had finally left her, only for Kylo to hold her in place. She came to him not understanding why she had been stopped when Kylo showed her the dream she had had before, of her lying on top of him in the water. He positioned his body to accommodate her, and she was surprised at how eager he was to be close to her. 

Her heart skipped a beat before she found herself toeing out of her Mary Janes and stepping into the tub with him. She told herself it would only be a few minutes, that she would get cold, and so she lay gingerly on him, only for him to press her down onto his chest, he resting his head against her bathroom wall. 

There, where the only sound that existed was his heart beat, was where Rey found peace. She knew she'd have to buy a swimsuit after that; she got used to that position quickly. Kylo's gentle movements and easy breathing told her he liked it just as much. The heat from his body and the familiar scent of him made her cozy. Before she knew it, she fell asleep in the cradle of his arms, and neither had known contentment like that before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	8. In Crashing Waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo start becoming intimate.

_ “Baby take my hand … Don't fear the Reaper. _

_ We'll be able to fly … Don't fear the Reaper. _

_ Baby I'm your man … ” _

  
  


"Rey?"

"Is she-"

"I think she is."

Rey woke up slowly, the sun from a nearby window shining brightly upon her. Her body hurt  _ everywhere,  _ and she couldn't figure out why. 

Or for that matter, why she felt much warmer than usual or how Finn and Rose got into her apartment. Her mind was too groggy to care.

She heard a slight chitter, and it woke her up at once. 

Kylo.

She yanked her head up, only for webbed hands to slide over her neck and down her shoulders, trying to calm her. She tilted her head backward to see Kylo's expressive eyes, he showing her images of her curled up on him. She wasn't prepared for the onslaught of feelings that accompanied those images. She was sure that she felt more for him, but she hadn't expected him to feel the same. The admiration and adoration he held for her, the tenderness and awe that made him protective and want to steal her all for himself was heady. Before she could think, she twisted and cupped his jaw, reveling in the feeling of his skin against hers. He chittered, and she was just about to kiss him when she heard a throat being cleared.

When she stopped moving, Kylo glared at the source of the noise, and she saw a nervous Finn. Rose looked guilty as she glanced at the hallway, only turning when she was sure that Rey was aware.

"Hi, Rey," said Finn. "You hadn't come down for breakfast yet, and I was starting to get worried. Then Rose showed up-"

"Snoke is conducting a manhunt at work for us - or at least whoever stole Kylo. I was so scared he had taken you!" cried Rose, kneeling down and taking Rey's hands. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"You hungry?" asked Finn. 

Rey's stomach gurgled. "I'll take that as a yes. I already started making breakfast, and I invited Rose, too … if you don't mind."

He looked between the girls, both of whom grinned at him.

"You two go ahead. I'll meet you there after I change," signed Rey, waving them off. 

As soon as both left, Kylo tried to pull her into her previous position, but she wrangled herself out of his reach, making him grimace. She pointed to the living room and made the sign for eggs, making him perk up and help her leave. She left a kiss on his forehead before drying off.

After a tense breakfast of Rey telling them she was fine with Kylo, the two agreed to leave her alone. When Rey suggested that Finn take Rose to a movie and to his concerts that night, both were finishing each other's sentences before long about how they wanted to do that. 

Satisfied that she had set up her two favorite friends, Rey began boiling eggs and finding other meat she kept in her home to feed Kylo. He needed all protein according to the eavesdropped conversations, and she wanted him to stay healthy. She would definitely need more food.

It was as she was finishing cooking that she heard something wet sploosh and stomp on her hardwood floors. When she looked up, she was surprised to see Kylo up and wandering through her home, touching various objects. As he walked from thing to thing, she taught him the sign for it, and eventually, he ended up on her sofa, recognizing it from their bond. She brought plates of food over to him, and they ate in comfortable silence, her with one egg and him with five, along with bacon and sausage. When they finished, Rey took the plates to her sink and washed them before joining him on the sofa once more. 

As she settled against him, Kylo made a low noise in his throat, pulling her closer when his hands observed that her skin was cold. She put up little fight as he pulled her easily into his lap. For a time, both were content in the position, but eventually, Rey grew restless.

She wanted to explore all of Kylo now that he wasn't completely covered in water. She didn't want her back to him anymore. She turned to face him, straddling him. The way his eyes darkened as he stared into hers made her body burn for him and wetness grow between her legs. Every feeling was all due to the way he made her feel, as though he were the lucky one to have her. 

Her fingers started their exploration along his head and the charcoal gray gills on either side of his neck. His fingers tangled in her loose hair, images coming to her of how much he liked her hair down compared to stiff buns. He wanted to see  _ all  _ of her. When he paused at the scars on the side of her neck, her ardor cooled as he questioned if they were used to breathe underwater. She shook her head no, showing him images of knives, what she imagined having caused the marks. He grew angry for a moment before laying hands on either side of them. He started to close his eyes when she pulled his hands away and put them in her hair and on her shoulder. 

When he saw that she didn't want to discuss her scars further, he respected her wishes and explored the rest of her body. She traced his long neck and learned every bone and indentation on his shoulders. He studied the shape of her chin and jaw, smelling her neck and shoulders before kissing the exposed skin there. When he tried to pull back the button-down blouse she was wearing, she jumped back, a little nervous about showing him the rest of her.

She had never been with a man before, and she had no idea what Kylo would expect from her. The thought of showing him all of her scared her. However, the more time she spent with Kylo, the braver she grew. He pulled her against him as he inhaled her scent, his giant hands finding her knees. 

She grew more comfortable as he continued to explore the rest of her, rubbing the shape of her calves multiple times to understand how and why they were on her body before she finally kicked off her slippers and let him touch her feet. She was amused to watch him grope around blindly for them before he finally gave up on her neck and feet at the same time. He removed himself from underneath her and slid his whole body onto the floor until his head was in her lap, hands with easy access to her feet. Soon, he had one eye fixed upon her and the other covered by her short skirt as he traced each toe. She wiggled her toes since he seemed fascinated by the concept of not having webbing there. When he brushed the bottoms of her toes, she giggled in delight, and he explored all the ticklish spots on the bottom of her feet.

At first, she loved seeing him there, feeling more secure in herself and her differences, but the feelings slowly morphed into something else. Since he wasn’t human and didn’t understand that men didn’t put their faces in women’s laps, she let him do it. He had no dark intentions, unlike other men she knew. Based on how he responded to her, he wouldn’t force himself on her. 

The problem with the body arrangement was that her body refused to go along with what her head already knew. She was already turned on from the skin-on-skin contact and feelings of interest that were permeating their bond. The longer he lay there, utterly rapt in knowing the exact shape of her feet, the more aroused she grew. There was some part of her that had been awakened by him and their bond, and she wanted to know him in that way … if she could ever get over her fear of him seeing her naked.

He began lifting a foot up, causing her whole leg to lift. She didn’t think anything of it until he stopped mid-motion, he sniffing the air around him curiously. It wasn’t until his face pressed into the juncture between her legs that she realized what he smelled. She blushed, trying to bring his face up to hers. She was not ready for that, even if it was encouraging that he was attracted to her unique scent. 

He seemed loathe to leave the spot once he found it based on how he growled slightly, but he stood up and sat upon her sofa beside her. As she noticed the way he started to breathe more shallowly, she led him to the bathtub, where he sat on the edge of the tub with his feet in the water, soon able to breathe normally. At that, he chittered happily in thanks, and Rey crawled into his lap once more, glad that there wouldn’t be any other disruptions. 

She kissed him, sending him every heartfelt feeling she had, wanting him to know how much she cared for and desired him. 

One kiss became two, then three as her lust grew. She opened her mouth, and he was quick to match her, his tongue sliding in and tasting all of her he could find. When one of his hands pulled on her hair, she bit down lightly, making him growl before he explored further, proving that he definitely had a longer tongue than humans. Some part of her  _ ached  _ to know what that tongue would feel like elsewhere, especially on her bare skin. As she became wetter, other parts of him became harder, needier, and she rubbed herself against him, wanting friction.

It wasn’t until memories of herself, naked in her tub and touching herself to thoughts of him, from the night after their first kiss, appeared unbidden that he suddenly froze. It was one way to show him all of her, and she waited in fear that he wouldn’t want her. 

She had never been happier to be wrong. 

One of his hands found her shirt, tugging it open once more to find what he had seen. She let him that time, and her buttons flew in every direction as he chittered in contentment when he saw her chest. 

She wasn’t sure what she expected him to do, which worked out well. He was quick to show her images of females of his kind, all of them looking just as flat as him. That was when images of Snoke and Palpatine came to her from him, making her skin crawl and want to retch, rather than get it on. She saw the blood he caused from his claws, his fear of hurting her. She understood and knew exactly what to do.

Taking one webbed hand in both of hers, she looked him in the eye and silently begged him to trust her. He reluctantly moved his hand toward her, and she brought it to her lips and kissed each finger, then claw. She rested her lips against his claws to show that as long as he was gentle, he wouldn’t hurt her, and she felt his awe. Then she laid his hand on her scar, showing him she was proud to wear it and wasn’t afraid of him. She kissed him once more, showing him every time she had missed him when she went home and had to leave him. When her breasts rubbed against his skin, her mouth flew open, gasping slightly, and he was quick to put two and two together as a claw traced every inch of skin below her collarbone he could find. 

His desire seemed at its peak when he looked at her feet, but that was nothing compared to his reaction as he learned her breasts. He groped and kneaded to see every reaction he could wring out of her, repeating everything she loved, each squeeze adding an edge to the pleasure as she rubbed her body against his furiously, wanting more and glad that he was so enthusiastic in learning everything about her that he could. She found herself running her hands along his chest and back in response, shivering occasionally before his veins began turning red. He was heating up the more she touched him, and he was soon showing her images of his kind mating, how both glowed with love for the other. She laid open-mouthed kisses on his veins, wanting them to come alive for her.

He returned the favor when she pulled away, bringing his lips to her breasts. Before she knew it, she was quivering and pushing his mouth against her harder, wanting whatever he would give her. He gave her everything, trying the same moves with his lips first, then his teeth, and finally his tongue. She loved the gentle way he used his lips, but she went wild as he bit her, enjoying every second of pleasure laced with something else, something dangerous and addictive. His tongue acted much like his fingers, sending her to heights she hadn’t thought possible, and soon he was adding in the other two against her breasts as he plied her, seeing exactly what she liked for future reference.

She had been chasing  _ something  _ two nights ago in the tub. She wasn’t able to find that peak, but it had been her first steps in exploring her body. She’d left aching after the kisses they’d shared earlier. She’d gone to bed unsatisfied, but she had a feeling he wouldn’t leave her in such a state now.

It was that unsatisfied feeling coupled with her dislike of herself for not being knowledgeable, capable, or seemingly worth anything that sent her down a black hole as soon as he stopped to admire how red her skin had become after giving it so much attention. She thought he was done with her, that she would be stuck again. He left her chest to focus on her face, his hands framing it tenderly. Then, it was his turn to show her how much he looked forward to her, that he hated her leaving, and that he saw her shape as something beautiful that he wanted to worship. He wanted to see every inch so as to show her just how much he loved her. Her heart felt like bursting. 

She gave him a chaste kiss as a way to thank him, and he kissed her back eagerly, ready to pick up where they left off. Her chaste kiss turned into something else entirely as one of his hands moved to her rear, his claws digging in as he grew more curious about the rest of her that was still clothed. His grip was possessive and strong, and she sensed that one of his claws was hovering just above that space between her legs. The needy ache there was overwhelming, and she  _ knew  _ that he wanted to touch her there like he’d touched her everywhere else. 

Why deny him when she wanted it just as much? Her body moved naturally, her legs squeezing together to fill the ache, and she heard the tear in her skirt as his claw went right through the cotton like it was nothing. It felt like freedom, to have him feel her, to know her like that. She wanted to bare all of herself to him in that moment, confident that he would want her even more. 

She thought she would feel shame or guilt at giving in to the desire to do something so intimate with him, but all she felt was a sense of rightness, and acceptance and more longing from him. As his claw and fingertip touched her sensitive skin and felt the gathering wetness, she felt some level of curiosity and increasing desire from him. As he flexed the finger, she felt a wild euphoria at having him so close, her eyes opening and feeling like she was flying higher and higher, almost to that peak. His eyes were almost black as his lips and tongue sought more of her. 

Shamelessly she thrust against him, seeking more friction in answer to this building tension as she tried to clamp down and push him in further. Images came to her mind of his hand buried deep inside her. As the wetness gushed out of her in excitement, she felt him surge forward and press his finger in as far as he could with his webbing. The bite of pain at feeling his claw soon turned to pleasure, and he pressed against the area repeatedly as he felt her spike of pleasure and want. Harder and faster he circled until she whimpered her release, head thrown back in pleasure. 

When she looked back at him, she had expected to see more naked desire, but this was something else equally warm and very tender. He pressed his forehead against her once more as he drew his finger out, and he became disgruntled when he sensed her disappointment at his removal. The other hand lowered itself to replace the other, and he chittered when she eagerly accepted another finger within her.

She watched with interest as he brought the finger that had been within her earlier to his mouth. As he looked at the finger, she saw images of water: in his pool, in a bucket, coming from a faucet, her tub, and more. It took her a second to figure out that he wanted to know how she had gotten some between her legs. She smiled and pushed his finger toward his nose, so that he could smell the difference between that water and hers. As soon as he did, his memory of her scent from earlier overcame him, and he showed her just how much he liked her smell. She blushed at being wanted like that and felt herself grow wet all over again, and she pushed his finger into his mouth so he could know exactly what it tasted like. She wanted to see how it made him feel, to give him the same sense of completeness she had when she’d come. 

It was his turn to close his eyes as he sucked the finger clean and began inserting the other finger within her in earnest, thrusting it in and out when he discovered that she liked the movement. Her hands took hold of his shoulders as she tried her hardest to come once more, as much for her own relief as to give him what he seemed to love. She knew she was close, but when she wasn’t coming fast enough for him, he bent over one of her breasts. As soon as she felt his teeth bite down on a nipple, followed by his lips kissing away the pain, she panted and came a second time. He buried himself in her breasts, sucking and kissing as other fingers tried and failed to touch her between her legs, quickly discovering the rest of her underwear. He growled in annoyance before she pulled his wetted finger to his lips, and then he was experiencing his own bit of pleasure as his hips pressed against hers. When he opened his eyes, she saw herself, clothes askew and hair wild, and the only feeling she felt from him was love, an expression of delight at seeing all of her finally. She never wanted to put her hair up again, if only to let Kylo see her fully.

His hands found her skirt, eyes looking for permission to tear it apart even more than just the hole he had created. She was just about to let him were it not for knocking at the front door. Kylo screeched at the sound, but she shook her head, secretly glad for the interruption once the lust wasn’t clouding her mind. 

They had been dangerously close to going all the way, and there was some part of her that still feared giving him everything. She had never given that much power to another person before, and she was truthfully afraid, one of the main reasons why she hadn’t pursued many relationships. Between people thinking her ugly and being abandoned, she hadn’t tried to have deep relationships. This connection they shared was so different from anything else she had ever known. It scared and excited her in equal parts. 

She went to answer the door and considered her feelings seriously as she walked. If she was being honest, what she was feeling was more than just a connection. Her friends had been hinting at it already. It was the very thing she had been hoping to find at some point in her life. So why was she tempted to run out the door?

Thankfully, she noticed her open top in the mirror just before she opened the door, so she was able to fix herself up slightly before she saw her two friends.

“We’re heading out for the night. Do you want to join-”

“Finn, she doesn’t. Look at her,” hissed Rose, pointing at Rey’s disheveled hair. “Let’s give her some time alone with her boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” signed Rey furiously with a blush, making both laugh at her.

“Rey, I’ve seen you when you’ve first woken up, fresh out of a shower, and worse. I have  _ never _ seen you look this bad, or so happy about it,” said Finn, calling her out. “Have fun with Kylo. We’ll be back later to play some music together, alright?”

She nodded, excited by the prospect. 

“Good. Go in there, girl, and get some,” said Rose, making Rey blush more. “You’ve got some very swollen lips there. It looks like he’s taking good care of you.”

Rey stared at the floor with a dopey grin on her face, remembering how it felt to kiss him. That was when Kylo screeched, and she heard water splashing onto the bathroom floor. She quickly waved them out and made her way back to Kylo, who was halfway to her at that point because of his hulking steps. He growled as soon as he saw that her shirt had been buttoned back up, and she laughed at his pout. Getting an idea from Finn, she escorted him back to the tub and tried to explain the concept of shopping. Once he understood that she needed better clothing to be with him, he let her leave, after he promised not to leave the tub.

An hour later, Rey came back with a blue bikini that she liked. She changed into that and brought her music into the bathroom to enjoy it with him properly. He got very excited at seeing more of her body, but it was the music player that calmed him down. He requested rock music, and she was ready, bringing out her favorite album of all time,  _ Abbey Road _ . Setting the needle on the vinyl, she climbed into the tub and laid on top of Kylo. 

Soon, the opening chords of “Here Comes the Sun” filled the air, and Kylo became more thoughtful as he noted the softer melody. His eyes looked at her, confused, until she leaned into his neck and shared memories of her past.

He saw her as a teenager when the song first came out, recently an adult and free of terrible foster parents. Everything then seemed brighter, better. Then, she’d heard that song, and had been mesmerized. She went to the store every day to listen to it, and she saved up everything she had to buy that album first, and then the music player that she still used. She snuggled into him, reliving those happy memories with him. 

When the song ended, he asked that the song be played again. As they listened, he spelled out her name from watching her, his right hand forming the letters. He joined his pointer and middle finger to form the R to the best of his ability, and then he bent down the fingertips as much as he could for E, before spreading out his thumb and pinky fingers as far as he could for Y. Then, he pointed at her, asking if that was her name. She nodded, repeating the motion swiftly before showing him his name. His face lit up like a child at Christmas, repeating the spellings so he could call her by her name and know who he was. 

They ended up listening to that song four more times before he heard the rest of the album. The more they listened, the more he started to take an interest in her body. His claws combed through her hair until it was tangle-free, while the other hand slid along her stomach and examined her belly button. Eventually he found her thighs, and he discovered that she was ticklish at the underside of her legs and knees. That resulted in much water being splashed on the other before Rey played dirty and kissed him to distract him. It worked too well. 

As “Something” played in the background, the kisses turned into Rey sliding her legs around Kylo’s waist as he easily removed her bikini top and revisited all of his favorite places to drive her crazy. He almost tore through her bottoms, but she saved those by showing him how to slide his hand inside the clothing, another great revelation for him. His finger connected with with her. When she made a little screech of her own at reaching her peak from it, she was unprepared for the satisfaction that swept over him. She found it alternately amusing and arousing to hear her cry of release as he replayed it in his mind, wanting to do that again, not to mention have her cover his fingers in what he considered her own special water from earlier. 

She hadn’t thought it was possible for someone to be so absorbed in every little thing about her. He enjoyed seeing her memories, and he wanted to know how she felt about everything, especially anything he did. He analyzed every nuance as he tried to unravel and understand her, and she was amazed to find that she wanted to do the same thing. However, the thought of where it might lead, not to mention Finn and Rose interrupting again, made her cautious about trying anything more. Instead, she found more music, and they took to examining each other’s feet. He seemed to have a preoccupation with everything on her that was different compared to him, and she was just as curious to explore his body. So, they sat on opposite sides of the tub, enjoying each other’s presence and feelings as Rey introduced Kylo to more of the Beatles. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beatles for thr win! Thanks for reading!


	9. Reaching the Sandbar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Work becomes more complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to MissCopellia for the wig idea!

_ “Come on baby … Don't fear the Reaper." _

  
  


Finn and Rose found them in the tub together, happier than they had ever seen Rey before. 

“You eat anything lately? We brought back leftovers,” said Rose, knowing how much Rey liked trying new food.

Rey’s stomach grumbled, and she got up to grab the food. When Kylo grumbled about losing her, she made the sign for eggs, which placated him. Soon, the two were eating while Finn showed them the newest songs he had been working on. 

After that, everyone was tired. Kylo didn’t like that Rey was sleeping in her normal bed, but he understood when she showed him how much pain she had woken up with. There was always the next day for more time together.

After Rey and Kylo had breakfast together, it became absolutely necessary to go shopping for more food since she hadn’t bought extra. After eating, she put on her bathing suit, and they spent the rest of her waking hours together, either in the tub or cooking in the kitchen. Kylo let go of her a little easier that night for sleep, but that changed when he found out that she was still going back to work. At that, he screeched so loudly that Finn almost broke the door down in fear.

“What the hell was that?” 

Rey’s face fell as her hands flew. “Kylo doesn’t want me to go back to the lab.”

“I actually agree with him,” said Finn, walking into the bathroom with Rey. He made a fist and pointed it at Kylo. 

Kylo stared at him uncomprehendingly until Rey helpfully supplied one of the numerous times she had fist bumped Finn, and then Kylo understood, making a fist and ramming it at Finn’s. Needless to say, Finn was rubbing his fist afterward from the sheer power exerted.

“Ouch. He’s strong.”

“Yes, he is,” signed Rey, grinning at Kylo smugly.

Finn shook his head. “Why are you going back?”

“Because if I don’t, then they’ll know I stole Kylo. I’m working until I release Kylo back into the water,” signed Rey, looking sad at the prospect of Kylo leaving.

“How long is that?” asked Finn, worried. “They’re going to figure it out eventually. The sooner, the better.”

“I heard the weather forecast when I was out. It’s supposed to rain in a week or two. As soon as it floods the canal, we’ll drive him there,” signed Rey.

“Alright. You go to work, and I’ll stay with him to make sure he doesn’t try to follow you. Maybe I’ll sketch him today,” said Finn, excited by the prospect. 

She thanked him before hugging him. Kylo made a noise of protest until Rey turned around and kissed him. Splashing Kylo one last time, she walked to the doorway, where he said goodbye to her, even if Finn was confused why they said door to one another.

Rey met Rose just outside the lab. Everything looked normal from the outside, but Rose had heard from Bazine, who told Phasma, who told everyone else that Snoke was a madman and acting extra scary as he searched for Kylo. The girls got into the elevator and were unprepared for the sight that greeted them as soon as the doors opened.

The first sight that greeted everyone who walked into First Order Sciences was meant to instill a sense of fear and awe within the guest, or so Snoke had planned. The gleaming white room was massive, two stories tall with chrome art and staircases leading to various places, as well as technology and machines designed by the lab on proud display, little nameplates by all of them. There were two, crisp lines of the lab’s achievements available, plus one recent addition on the wall since Snoke came back: a giant portrait of him standing in one of his clean rooms. His unnerving gaze as he stared gave the impression that he was always watching, which had been the intent.

Rey despised the portrait, and she had had to convince Rose on multiple occasions not to bring paint to decorate it more appropriately. 

Normally, there were a few people milling around the room, but that day, the main room was filled to capacity. Lines of people arced around the place as triple the amount of security was present, and Rey wanted nothing more than to hide in a random office as the searches were performed. The loudspeaker that was normally only used for special occasions was now going off every fifteen minutes, telling everyone to have their identification ready and to be ready to answer all questions from security. Two hours later, the girls finally made it into the Green Room to clean. 

“Well, at least it’s pretty clean now,” said Rose, trying to act normal. “Good riddance.”

Rey became defensive until she saw Rose wink at her. The two continued their normal routine until right before lunchtime, when Hux appeared.

“What the - what kind of ridiculous wig did Hux buy?” spouted Rose. “I thought I’d seen it all, but I’m wrong.”

Rey had to restrain herself from laughing. Hux, who had always had the slickest and most minimalist hair she had seen, except for his brief adventure in baldness, was now wearing a red mushroom on top of his head. The color of the wig matched his old hair color perfectly, but it was as though he were worried about receiving sunlight from the way the hair popped out in all directions, essentially shading his face and neck. Even this wig was shiny from how perfectly it was kept in shape. Hux must have used a lot of hairspray to achieve that gravity-defying shape. As he marched, the wig flopped in the breeze, and more than once, Hux had to put a hand on it to keep it in place.

“You two. Follow me. We need to speak to you,” said Hux, turning around and not bothering to see if they followed.

That was when they knew it was serious. They followed him to Snoke’s office, where he sat impatiently at his desk.

“Could you take any longer to find them? You saw them on these cameras,” snapped Snoke. Facing the women, he said, “I’m sure you’ve heard and seen what happened.”

“Phasma said that an elite government group tranquilized one of the guards to get in the back way and stole the asset,” said Rose, using the most popular rumor. 

“It’s hardly elite. The tech used to turn off the power was at least twenty years old. I haven’t seen it in a long time,” sneered Hux. “Whoever it was infiltrated this lab first or had visited it before.”

“I still believe it was one of our own. However, everyone has come back to work, so we’re interviewing all as a result. Where were you when this happened?” demanded Snoke.

Rey spelled out the word bus, putting up and then bringing down in order four fingers of her right hand, starting with her pinky and ring finger. Rose interpreted.

“She said she was on her bus home. I was driving away. We were long gone by then,” said Rose, trying to be nonchalant.

“Yes, that’s what your punch card said,” said Snoke, glancing between them and their timesheets. After a pause, he grimaced and made a disgusted sound. “What have I been brought to? I’m interviewing the help. The help, of all people. Go. You’re dismissed.”

They ran, glad that he believed them. As soon as they were in their next room to clean, Rose said, “I’m pretty sure the only reason he believes us is because of you, Rey. Despite the fact that he’s hellbent on finding Kylo, he was looking at you like you were his next meal.”

Both women cringed before going back to work. All was going smoothly until they got to the locker room to change their clothes. They had just finished when Rose spotted a man in the shadows.

“Mitaka,” she hissed, making her way to him. “Are you lost? This is for women  _ only. _ ”

“I know, but I had to check on Kylo,” he whispered before pulling out another circular box of green salt. “How is he? Is he safe? Has he been released?”

“Not yet,” said Rose, already knowing the answer. “He will be when it rains. It’ll flood the canal, making it easy for him to swim into the bay.”

“Good. Don’t wait long. Take this for him,” he said, handing the box to Rey. To Rose he said, “And when you leave this place, I hope you’ll contact that lab I gave you the card for. They need someone with integrity like you.”

Rose blushed, and Rey elbowed her encouragingly. “Rey, I’m not leaving without you-”

“I’ll go with you,” signed Rey. “I hate it here.”

“Thank you,” said Rose, hugging her best friend.

“You’ll be welcome there, too,” said Mitaka. “I hope that you’ll learn to trust me more in time. There’s much we can learn from one another.”

"You know, at this rate I'm going to want to study biology just to understand why everyone is so interested in him," said Rose. 

Rey grinned. Mitaka left, and the girls prepared to go home. That was when the only phone in the locker room rang. It was well-known that the only people who called it were friends and family of the girls in the room, so Rose sprang for the phone.

“First Order Sciences. This is Rose.”

“Rose, thank goodness! I need you to tell Rey an important message for me,” said Finn before groaning. “I was sketching him for a while when I suddenly fell asleep. Beebee, my cat, was in the room with me, and when I woke up, Kylo was staring at my cat like he was hungry. As soon as I tried to separate them, he swiped at me and ran down the hall.”

“What?” cried Rose. “How are you? Are you alright? How is Beebee? Where is he?”

“I don’t know. I’m fine. The cut will heal, but Rey needs to buy more bandages. Also, she needs to find him first. I fear for him.”

“On it. Hang in there, Finn. I’m coming to help you.”

“Thanks, Rose. I really appreciate it,” said Finn softly.

“Anytime.” With that, she hung up the phone and turned to her friend. “Rey, I’m driving you home today. It looks like you have a need for speed. I’ll explain it all on the way.”

Rey was surprised since Rose lived a half hour from her, out in the suburbs. She never drove Rey home unless it was an emergency. When she got the full story, she understood why. It would still take a half hour to get home with Rose, and Kylo had been out in the streets, causing who knew how much damage and terror. 

Rey discovered the joys of traveling over ninety miles per hour on the highway that day in Rose’s tiny, red Volkswagen Beetle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	10. In Deep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey finds Kylo, leading to admitting their love for one another and expressing it in the most intimate way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The monster sex has arrived!

_ “Saying don't be afraid. _

_ Come on baby … And she had no fear, _

_ And she ran to him … And they started to fly. _

_ They looked backward and said goodbye.” _

The closer they drew to Rey's apartment, the paler Rey looked. Rose considered that part of it could have been due to her swerving in and out of lanes to get there faster, but Rey knew her crazy driving. 

Something was bothering her, and not even the special mix tape that Rose created for Rey was helping. Half of the music was from the Beatles, and Rey was only distantly listening until Paul McCartney's love song "Maybe I'm Amazed" came on. 

_ "And maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you." _

Rey sat up intently when she heard that line.

"Rey, what's wrong? You look upset. Are you worried about Finn?"

Rey nodded that she was worried about Finn, but Rose saw there was more. "Talk to me, Rey. Tell me what you're thinking. Talking it out helps. I can drive and listen at the same time."

Rey gave her a skeptical look before diving in, hands flying. 

"Finn is my first true friend, ever since the beginning. He's just been cut by Kylo, who has almost killed everyone whom he has ever touched."

"Do you think Finn will die?" asked Rose, saying her fear out loud.

Rey shook her head no, quite certain of it. Rose took comfort in that as Rey further explained. "I think Kylo can choose who he wants to kill. I can't really explain, but I just know. We share a bond. It's not that."

"Then why are you worried?" asked Rose, very confused. 

"I keep focusing on Kylo and his safety," signed Rey, looking guilty. "I feel like a terrible friend, but I'm more worried about Kylo. He could be injured or barely breathing. Lost. He could have been found by someone, even Snoke. He could be dead."

Rose saw the deep concern her friend had for Kylo. Rey wasn't one to feel fear normally, but she was terrified of losing Kylo.

" _ Maybe I'm a lonely man who's in the middle of something that he doesn't really understand." _

Rey didn't understand why everything centered on Kylo. It was irrational, and she didn't understand why it was happening until that song came on.

"I have these feelings for Kylo. I get giddy thinking about him. I want to spend all my time with him, find more things for us to do. I want to know him, to understand him more than I've ever wanted with someone. He sees me, and I want to show him more of myself. I don't want to set him free, but I also want him to have the freedom I can't. Is this love?"

She searched her feelings, and Rose confirmed what she was finally willing to admit out loud.

"Rey, it's pretty self-evident. You are head over heels, crazy in love with him. I thought you already knew that."

"Love is … foreign to me. I've been afraid of it for so long. No one's ever stayed that long," explained Rey, fingers moving rapidly. "It's come on so slowly, but now I'm ready to sacrifice myself to keep him alive. He deserves better, to live. He's so lonely, and I want to tell him he isn't anymore."

"Don't be afraid! Tell him how you feel," said Rose as they pulled in front of a drugstore. 

As soon as they arrived in front of the theater with bandages, Rey saw a bloody handprint with webbed fingers beside the door frame. Pointing frantically, she hugged Rose goodbye.

"I have no more fear," she signed before running after him, looking for more handprints and following a trail into the theater. 

Using her free ticket to get past the tired teen, Rey scanned the empty popcorn area inside Plutt's theater. He had tried and failed to appeal to the artsy, musician types, and now it seemed he was going for mass appeal with comedy, Mel Brooks'  _ Silent Movie  _ the main attraction. 

Making her way into the actual theater, she was relieved to see only one person there. He was towering over the seats, and she ran to him until she was close. She watched his wide eyes of wonder at seeing such big people. Appearing at his left side, she was relieved when he recognized her, all his attention immediately on her, even if he shuffled away from her.

At some level, he knew he was a monster. He didn't look like her, and he injured others far more. She felt his feelings of unworthiness through their bond, his inability to forgive himself for hurting her friend. It was incomprehensible to him that she would come back after seeing Finn's injury. 

She disagreed. 

For a time, they played a cat and mouse game of how close Rey could get to Kylo before he managed to escape. She followed him around the whole theater, giving him her usual wave of hello to no avail. It wasn't until she cornered him that he finally returned the greeting hesitantly. 

He knew he had done wrong, and the fact that he felt bad was all she needed. She had a feeling his lashing out was learned from so much time with Snoke. 

Rey struggled to find a way to explain to him that she understood and still wanted him. Trying to tell him that she forgave him or loved him would mean nothing to him since he didn't know those words. There had to be something else.

Instead of just standing awkwardly in front of him, she chose to think while in his arms. She gave him her warmest smile before embracing him fully, forcing him to respond back. Soon, his arms looped around her, albeit not with the level of warmth as the past days. 

She slid her hands up his spine, using her palm to caress his back and fins that ran the length of him. He made a deep noise in his throat, and she knew she was getting there. When she reached his shoulders, she brought her hands back and let them glide across his shoulders and down the center of his chest. When he shivered at her touch, she stopped and gave him a meaningful look, as though to say that she wasn't leaving. 

Something in his eyes and posture changed when it dawned on him that she still chose him. His eyes glanced at her lips, and she used his shoulders to get on her tiptoes to steal a kiss. When she pulled away, he kissed her back.

It was while he kissed her that she brought up a memory of Maz, and then Rose. 

First, Maz said, "I love you, Rey."

Then, Rose said, "We'll be together forever."

When he pulled back, trying to understand her, she spelled out the word love. 

That was when Mel Brooks tried to kiss a girl on a carousel, and Rey pointed to it as an example, spelling out love again. 

It wasn't enough. She could see that he still didn't get it, but she struggled to find a way to explain the depth of it. She was a little relieved when he replayed the memory of Rose, wanting to understand that as well. That was when she conjured a memory of Maz and Chewie together, them holding hands and still deeply in love, even in their old age. Then, she showed him one of her dreams of the night before. 

She knew she had to give him up. He was wild and didn't belong caged within her apartment forever, no matter how much they wanted to be together. That was how her dream had come to be. 

She showed herself as an old woman carrying two eggs along the edge of the inner harbor. When she got to the dock, she knelt down and waited, and Kylo appeared, looking as young and healthy as ever. As she sat on the dock and ate an egg with him, she suddenly kicked off her shoes and jumped into his arms. When they kissed, he took her underwater with him, where they swam off together. 

As his eyes brightened with understanding, she spelled out the word always. That was what it came down to in the end. She always wanted to be with him, and she would watch the sea steadfastly if he chose to leave. She would wait; she was good at waiting. No one else would understand her like he did. 

When he repeated always to her, she kissed him once more and grabbed his hands. Slowly, she led him back to her apartment through a back door to the apartments above, where Finn and Rose sat chatting. Rose backed away from Kylo, but Finn approached him eagerly.

Putting up his palms, Finn walked up to Kylo to show he wasn't angry. Kylo glared at the giant patch where he had hurt Finn, and Rey snuck a peek at the deep wound. 

"Rey? I patched up Finn. I'm heading out," said Rose, walking to the door to avoid Kylo.

Seeing that Finn and Kylo needed a moment, Rey followed her best friend, thanking her once outside the door. 

When the girls were out of sight, Kylo's massive hands gingerly took Finn's hands. He placed one hand on his forehead, and Finn's other hand on his chest. He soon placed his hands similarly. When Finn tried to wiggle, Kylo growled, making Finn sit still.

Finn decided to humor Kylo. He assumed it was Kylo's way of asking for forgiveness. As they sat, Finn began to sweat from how hot he felt, and that was when he noticed Kylo was glowing. At first, it was only the veins in Kylo's hands, and then the stark, red glow lit up Kylo entirely. Finn wished he could paint the solemn, peaceful expression on Kylo's face, or the way the glow made Kylo's skin translucent, almost shimmery. 

After a few minutes, Kylo stopped glowing and pulled away, satisfied but momentarily tired from the action. Finn gave him a hug before deciding to go home. 

"Rey? I think I'm done for the night. I'm going to rest," he said as Rey walked in. "We made up with one another."

She nodded gratefully as the door closed before locking it. When she turned back around, she jumped, not prepared for Kylo to be there. He immediately left and returned to his tub as his breathing became more shallow from lack of water.

Sighing, Rey followed until she sat on the edge of the tub beside him. Spelling out  _ love _ once more, she reached for him, letting an index finger slide up and down his chest since he responded so well to that. 

She didn't expect him to reach for her shirt. His face looked between her chest and his, and she realized that he thought her severely overdressed. It was probably unfair in his mind, and she wished she had thought of it sooner. 

Standing up, she made a show of unbuttoning every button of her blouse. When she revealed her bra, he growled fiercely, hating it. As an idea came to her, she grinned, taking great pleasure in bringing his claws to the top, middle edge of her bra. With one downward jerk, the bra tore and flew backward, and she had never seen him look so happy. As she slid the bra off the rest of the way and prepared to climb on top of him, he stopped her, tugging at her skirt. Realization dawned, and she had to pause. 

She was still slightly afraid of showing him all of her. It made her feel so vulnerable. 

However, the look of longing he leveled at her skirt told her that he would love every part of her. His complete acceptance of her had always amazed her, and she knew with startling clarity that it was absolutely necessary to bare herself for him. Love was only love if it was between equals, not her hiding and taking. Love was a choice, a sacrifice, complete self-giving. 

Memories of others of his kind mating only reinforced the idea. They held nothing back. Perhaps that was how she could show him her love so that he understood. 

Reaching for her skirt zipper, she showed him the image of the two glowing together. She made the sign for love again, and that time he understood. He nodded. Dropping her skirt and underwear, she spread her legs and let him see all of her. 

She was terrified. 

He, however, was up faster than she could comprehend. The bond between them became saturated with his feelings as he got out of the tub and took her chin. She felt like she was drowning, ready to die of happiness. She hadn't thought it was possible for her heart to be so full as he kissed her fiercely, Kylo wanting every part of her and grateful that she was opening herself to him at last. She kept seeing images of herself as he focused on each part of her. She saw her hair: what she saw as long and tangled was shiny and exhilarating, the colors and layers of her hair containing just as many depths as the sea. Her mouth was something he would have written poetry about if he could speak. He seemed to have every inch of it mapped with her different emotions, and he wanted to discover all of them. Her calves, hands, and feet each had their own slideshow, and when she felt the hot desire pulsing through him as he examined her breasts, she kissed him to stop it. It made her uncomfortably aroused, the heat and achy need spiking within her. 

As she squeezed her legs together, she remembered how his finger had felt inside her. Like magic, his right hand slid down until it found its home, exploring everything hidden by her underwear before. When he found her opening, she spread her legs again, wanting him inside her. 

Sighing with pleasure, she pushed him further, and he growled as he began pumping his finger. His other hand rested close by, eager for its turn. Nothing could compare in her mind, until something else came. If he gave such adoring attention to other parts of her body, how much more would he give her there given how much he liked her taste? He probably wanted to explore it like he had every other part of her body. And the thought of his long tongue inside her … 

She started to grow wet when she stripped for him. With every kiss and movement of his hand, she knew he could remove his hand at any time and find plenty to enjoy. 

However, imagining his tongue inside her was the fastest she had ever soaked his hand. He even gave her a funny look that asked her why so much came out without anything else happening to her face, adoring images of her in ecstasy pushed at her.

However much she disliked the idea of removing him from inside her, he needed to understand there was more to her. She pulled his finger out and encouraged him to taste. His face became enraptured as he tasted, new hints and flavors there that needed to be explored.

In his excitement, two claws from his other hand slipped inside her, and she grunted in pain at the intrusion and placement of his claw tip. When she saw him prepare to pull away, her hand shot out, holding him in place. 

No. She wanted this. Now that she had had a chance to get used to the increase in size inside her, she liked it. She rather wanted more, to fill the need that threatened to set her on fire. Only his touch could soothe and fill it. She just gently nudged his claws away a little more so he didn't accidentally slice her up. 

When he seemed convinced that she wanted him there, she pushed a third finger in, wanting to know how it felt. The stretch was glorious that time, and when he attempted to make a fist, pressing his claws in, she bucked against him repeatedly, making him stop midway to repeat the action. With each thrust, she soared higher and higher, almost to the peak she sought. He thrust harder and faster when he saw that she wanted it, and then his mouth found her breasts. 

She felt as though she had started to fly amongst the stars, as high and beautiful as she felt. She threw her head back with a silent cry, and she saw herself from his eyes once more, caught up in her joy. He sucked harder and kept on thrusting, albeit slower as she came down from her high. When she was able to open her eyes again, he brought his hand to his mouth, and she loved watching his face. He was a starving man who had found everything he needed within her, and he seemed intent on having more. 

When she noticed his shallow breathing yet again, she led him into the tub. He knelt, and she stood and spread her legs around him, deciding to give them both what they wanted. He didn't fully understand until she showed him what she had imagined earlier. 

She was right. He got to work at once learning everything she liked, tasting everything as he went along. His tongue was the best thing she had ever felt, and the further he went in, the more their consciousnesses combined. It was hard for her to know her pleasure from his, as interwoven as they were, feeding off of one another but also loving everything experienced for the first time. He wanted her. She wanted him. Both wanted to give the other pleasure and to be as close to one another as possible. 

Everything kept building the more he experimented. She took to pressing her hands into his head until she was sure it would bruise, all to keep him as close as possible. He liked it, even growling when her grip slackened. His teeth and tongue found every sensitive nerve, and he tortured her as he pushed her pleasure higher and higher, but not quite peaking. She had to lean against the wall, him bracing her knees after a time, but neither minded. It felt too good, pleasure and pain mixing and sending her still higher. 

When she finally came, she felt as though she would combust as her whole body relaxed into nothingness. Her knees buckled, and he caught her easily, pulling his tongue out and helping her lay against him until she recovered. Soon, both were lying in the water, him playing with her hair, and her trying to breathe normally. 

The longer she lay there, though, the more she wanted to return the favor. The problem was that she had no idea how pleasure worked on his anatomy. For a normal human male, she knew where it was from library books. She compared the location to what she had seen of his kind mating, and she couldn't help but notice that they did seem joined down there. 

She sat up on his lap, her chest in his face as she began to trace along the flat area between his legs that wasn't normally like that. There was a very slight bump, and when she rubbed it, she felt his desire spike exponentially. She rubbed more. He moaned long and low, struggling to hold himself back the more she touched him. He kept folding up or sending his hands for hers until he finally forced her hands to press against him. The same desire he had had while tasting her was back as he closed his eyes, and she wanted him to come apart, just as she had. She wanted him to know what it felt like. 

Her mind nudged his, showing him others mating. She focused on their lower halves and pressed harder against him. His eyes opened dark with lust, and she knew she had gotten her point across. 

Removing her hands, she brought her hips up to meet his. Spreading her legs as wide as she could, she made him see exactly where she wanted him, and she watched in surprise as part of his skin folded back. Something long and ridged emerged, and she grew wet just watching it. She felt his pleasure spike as hers sparked into something more. As he grew more aroused, he pulsed and thickened, and she became wetter, the want piercing her. 

She wanted him inside her. Now. Completely. Nothing else would do. 

Her mind imagined it, and he grew longer and thicker from that alone. She had a momentary doubt that he would fit, but she remembered the burn of his fingers. She knew it would be worth it in the end.

It had all led to this. She felt it, just like he did. Once they did this, everything would change yet again, just like it had when her skin touched his. She wanted it. She wanted all of it. 

Most of all, she wanted him. She wanted to be so close, so tied to him that she could read his every thought and give him his every desire. She didn't want any separation between them, just oneness. She would give all of herself to him, to have that sense of togetherness only union with him could give. 

She showed him her desire as she slid down, and he rose up to meet her halfway. 

At first, it was bliss. His fingers, even his long, capable tongue were nothing compared to how perfectly he could fill her, and he was barely inside. Again, she felt the stretch, and he understood now, as intertwined as their minds were. He waited and held her. When she was ready, they pushed together, going until it was too much for her. Slowly he filled her, pushing past her barrier and breaking down the last vestiges of walls separating their minds. As he bottomed out within her, she had never felt so full. It was almost too much, and yet not enough. 

She had never felt so loved before.

It was as though she could see his plans and thoughts, how they all centered around her. She was his world, and she showed him every fear and hope she had. Her fears of being alone, of being rejected or abandoned. Her desire for family and belonging, to be wanted and loved above all else. 

When he saw her loneliness, he showed her as he first saw her, mopping by herself, no joy. He showed himself leaving the tub for her, telling her that she wouldn't be lonely anymore. That made her show him all her different scenarios for how they ended up, good and bad. She was relieved when she saw what he imagined. He hadn't even thought of leaving her tub, but when presented with the idea of taking her with him, he latched onto that.

She saw his colony, his family in particular. The green and white creatures were his parents, it seemed. She saw so many other creatures like him. She saw his loneliness and desire to be home, to be loved, to show her his world as she had done for him. The only difference was that she would join it completely, living underwater with him. He would make her his mate in every sense of the word. 

It was beautiful, everything she had ever wanted. As her body opened and accepted him just a little more, she lifted up off him just slightly, trying to adjust. She repeated the action, and then again. With each time, she lifted higher, and he slammed into her harder, giving her what they both wanted. Their rhythm shifted as they learned what worked until they were perfectly synchronized. Each thrust made him growl a little more, and she felt herself go higher, reaching for an orgasm unlike anything she had ever known. 

With every needy joining of their bodies, more water splashed out until half of the water was gone. The water had started out cold, but it grew warmer with the addition of Rey. As Kylo began to glow, the water started to develop steam. He kept glowing brighter, and she kept pleading within their bond for more. Harder. Faster. Closer. 

With each thrust, they took another step toward heaven. She rode him with abandon: head thrown back, hair wild, and body shaking. She loved seeing his view of her, of how he saw it all. She was strong, incandescent with her own glow that blended well with his, and perfect in his mind. Perfect for him. She matched him every step of the way for passion and exertion, wanting him to get just as much as she did. Higher and higher she went, and she didn't think it could get better.

Until it did. 

He wanted to touch more of her, to taste more of her. She loved giving him what he wanted. He couldn't lay on top of her in the water, so she suggested sitting up. Clamping down hard around him, she waited for him to sit and pull away from the edge of the tub so that she could lay her legs behind him if need be. 

But that wasn't what happened. 

She brought her knees in so they were halfway covered in water. At the same time, she kissed him, and he unleashed an unearthly, primal sound that spoke to her deep within. 

More.

That was the refrain that both chanted as one. She covered him in kisses, and he gave her breasts every bit of attention they had ever lacked, sucking and biting until she could  _ finally  _ feel her peak on the horizon.

So close.

Both felt it, and he helped her reach it. His lips found hers, and his hands scrambled, one tangling in her hair to find her scalp, to press her against him more. The other hand took turns with her breasts, letting his claws tease each tender, oversensitive peak. His body’s heated glow felt  _ so _ good. It filled every cold, dark, empty part of her with light and love, the likes of which she had never known. She wanted to drown in it.

Just a little more….

She found herself biting down on his lip and tongue, and he returned the favor. She loved it, and he loved that she loved it, sending them higher still. He wanted her hands on his back and chest, at his pleasure points. She adjusted to give it to him, rubbing and massaging as he grew more wild. She loved seeing that beast, the raw, untamed power and more calling to that same part of her. All of it felt so right until she remembered how his kind mated, hands touching. Her hands left his body to find his hands so that their palms could touch. 

When their hands were perfectly centered against one another, both stopped moving. 

_ I love you. _

He said it that time, and she felt something within her snap. Her legs clung to him as the rest of her body pressed against his insistently. The end had come, and they wanted to ride it together as one. They both kept flying higher, the thrusts perfectly in rhythm as they rose and fell together, each giving and taking a little until they found it. 

Balance. 

There, joined together, they were equals. 

Unity. 

Each individual's light and darkness met and melded together to make one perfect whole.

Completion. 

She shattered into tiny pieces of light, and he picked them up, rearranging them to fit in between his. She gave him everything, and he gave her all in return as he poured himself into her welcoming tightness, filling her completely.

_ Mine _ .

She thought she had seen him at his happiest. It was nothing compared to that moment. Both watched the other carefully, memorizing every line and facial expression as they came together. As she sighed and floated down from the heights, that was the protective word in her mind. 

He didn't have to ask to understand that one. The tone she used, the way she held him, the way she held his eyes. All of it explained it for her, and he repeated it with just as much satisfaction. 

_ Mine _ .

Together forever. 

That was how it was, and how it would be going forward. Nothing else would do. 

Suddenly, Rey wanted the rains to come. She didn't know how she would survive underwater, but Kylo was there, distracting her from the practicalities. 

Both more than satisfied, they lay back in the tub, she nestled against him comfortably in the crook of his arm and sprawled across his body. She traced lines and shapes into his skin with her index finger lazily, and he watched her, content. 

They would be one. Nothing else mattered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	11. Searching for Shore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey goes to work one final time as the stakes are raised.

“ _ Came the last night of sadness, _

_ And it was clear she couldn't go on.” _

  
  


Rey woke up feeling lighter than ever, completely at peace with the world a few hours later. Her body ached in the best of ways, and she couldn't wait to explore their connection more, after recovering. Stretching languidly, she turned her head and grinned at Kylo, who stirred slightly, holding her tighter. She snuggled into him until someone knocked on her door. Not concerned, she got up, and he growled lightly, trying to keep her beside him. A kiss encouraged him that she was coming back, and he let go, albeit reluctantly. She found her bathrobe and floated to the front door, quite ready to even smile at Plutt.

Throwing open her door, she was a little shocked to see Finn standing there in a new suit.

"Rey, why aren't you dressed? Aren't you going to work soon?"

Realization dawned that it was still only Tuesday. She had work.

"Why are you here?" she signed. "The suit looks new and spiffy."

"I'm meeting some executives with my manager, then having a meal with some of his friends. I bought a new suit just for today; I was worried it didn't look good."

Rey gave him two thumbs up, and he gave her a hug. "Thanks, Rey. Wish me luck!"

As she wished him luck, he stepped away, only then noticing the wide, satisfied smile that still hadn't left Rey's face. "You're in a good mood. Did you sleep well?"

She blushed before nodding and closing the door. She  _ really _ didn't want to discuss her sex life with Finn. 

When she was finishing up making food for lunch, Kylo appeared beside her, picking at her clothes in a disgruntled manner. He even tried to slide a hand under her skirt before she explained to him yet again that she had to go to work. 

She had never seen Kylo's mood change so suddenly, his eyes and face darkening before he slid protective arms around her. She saw images of Snoke with his cattle prod, him fearing for her, and she had to calm him down and make more promises to return when he finally agreed to go back inside the tub. She left him plenty of food by the tub, along with all the music that she could borrow from Finn. 

He waved goodbye to her multiple times, and soon after closing the door, she heard Simon and Garkfunkel singing, "Hello, darkness, my old friend. I've come to talk with you again."

She shook her head at his melodrama before booking it to barely make her bus. As Rey got off the elevator for work, not even the additional security could dampen her mood; the red armored guards and the increase in searches didn't scare her. 

"Rey, over here!" cried Rose, waving. "My, aren't you in a good mood. Enjoying your time with your friend?"

Rey's smug grin grew bigger as she nodded. 

"Good. Didn't get much sleep, did you?"

Rey raised an eyebrow in confusion as the two punched in to start their day. As they walked to the locker room, Rose said, "I've never seen such bags under your eyes. You always loved your sleep. How are you so awake?"

Rey shrugged and smiled more, signing that she had too much sleep before, making Rose snort.

"Doubtful, but I'll leave you alone."

Once they were working, they didn't have much time to talk. The extra security kept making messes, and they got notified by "Shroomhead Hux" on more than one occasion of places to clean.

Despite the fact that Rey was in Snoke’s presence at least three times before lunch while cleaning something he caused, Rey's good mood only increased. At lunch, Rose listened to some gossip in the lunch line before discussing it with Rey at a table by themselves.

"I heard Snoke has ordered random searches of eight different people's homes who had access to the asset. With each unsuccessful search, he's gotten more violent."

Rey nodded, eating her eggs with a dreamy look, barely noting Rose's words.

"He's made three messes for us already, and he's even snarled at you, despite you being his favorite. He's acting more crazy by the day. I fear what tomorrow will bring."

Rey shrugged, looking pleased about it all. Rose tried one last time to get through to her.

"If he's searching everyone who has ever had access to the asset, our homes could be on the list."

Rey wasn't concerned, the words not registering. Rose gave up at that point, slamming on the table with her fork and pointing it at her.

"Something has happened that you're not telling me. You're  _ way  _ too happy about this. Tell me the juicy details, just like I do with Poe and Paige. Does it involve your friend?"

Rey blushed, and her smile grew even bigger somehow. Rose noticed the glow around Rey become brighter and remembered how Rey had been walking funnily. The lightbulb turned on.

"I can't believe it! You got some, didn't you?"

Rey was eternally grateful that they were far away from anyone when Rose almost shouted that. She nodded with a Cheshire Cat grin that earned her a pat on the back.

"You go girl! You got some hot bod, and I bet he's waiting patiently for you to come back."

Rose had never seen Rey look so unabashedly proud. 

"Well, tell me! I need details. Is he good? Well clearly if you're floating like this, but how did it … you know. Down there? He looked flat there," she said, giving Rey a doubting look.

Rey looked smug before bringing forward her hands and opening them in the same way he had shown himself. Rose's eyebrows raised to her hairline as she understood. 

"I see. Well, I'm happy for you. Truly. Now you just have to help me get with Finn."

Rey shook with excitement and grabbed her best friend's hands eagerly. Rose confided about how much she liked Finn, describing what they had done before ending the lunch hour by saying, "He's taking me out to eat tonight with his manager, so I'm giving you a ride home tonight. You better be ready to give your opinions about what to wear."

The girls discussed Rose's date for the rest of their day, Rey giving ideas for things to discuss and wear. It helped pass the day that seemed never-ending with more and more messes to clean. They saw Snoke at least two more times, each time more angry than the last. 

As they left for the day, Snoke muttered, “I wish they weren’t so happy, especially when I can’t get what I want.”

Both girls pretended not to hear him. When they were out of earshot, Rose hissed, “Well boohoo to you, too. As the Rolling Stones like to say, you can’t always get what you want. Sucks, doesn’t it?”

Rey gave her a high-five as they punched out for the day, heading to Rose’s car. The drive home was uneventful, and Rey was in a great mood when she got to her apartment door. As she unlocked the door, she almost snorted when she heard the song “Paint It Black” blasting from her old music player. Apparently, he had found much of her older albums. As soon as she opened the door, however, the music stopped, and Kylo stuck his head out of the bathroom door immediately. 

Within moments, she was caught up in a dizzying kiss against the door, and Rey wanted nothing more than to spend the night in his arms. When he helped her make quick work of her clothes, she knew it was going to be a  _ very  _ good night for both her and Rose. Rey wanted to explore Kylo’s body more, and he let her until it became too much for both of them. Soon after that euphoric love making, however, Rey fell fast asleep in Kylo’s arms, taking full advantage of his red afterglow and resultant heat to snuggle into him. 

Finn wasn’t surprised when she answered the door wearing her bathrobe again.

“It sounds like you encouraged Rose a lot for me. Thank you,” he said bashfully, looking down at the floor and blushing. “She’s amazing. Did you need a ride to work? It looks like it’s going to rain.”

“Yes!” she signed before embracing him. “I need twenty minutes. Could I borrow more music for Kylo?”

Kylo still didn’t like letting her go to work, but Finn brought over more records, which helped. Rey gave him as many kisses as she could before Rose dragged her out to her car.

“Sheesh, girl. You’re worse than me. But wait until you hear what we did last night.”

Rey hung on Rose’s every word as they made their way to work. The dinner had gone well. It had been unexpected because Finn’s manager had met an old friend at the restaurant, one Kaydel Connix.

“Would you believe that it’s the same woman who knows Mitaka?” she exclaimed.

Rey’s shocked look was enough for Rose. 

“I was amazed! I couldn’t believe my good luck! The four of us talked for  _ hours,  _ and I have never liked two people so much. But the best part was at the end: Kaydel asked me to come in for an interview tomorrow! Me!”

Rey was bouncing in her seat alongside Rose, and both girls discussed what excuse Rose would use to call in sick the next day. 

“The way I see it is this: if Snoke and his specialized Praetorian Guards continue making our lives miserable for another few days with more unsanctioned home invasions - like they did to Bazine of all people - and office sweeps, then I’m going to just wait until I get an offer and quit. When I do, you’re joining me. Right, Rey?”

Rey agreed emphatically as they left the car. It was as they were walking in, however, that the rain finally began pouring, soaking them by the time they made it inside. As they rushed in, Rey remembered her promise to Mitaka to release Kylo. She had been so ready to do so before, but the thought of letting him go made her sadder than she cared to say.

As they punched in for the day, Rey’s responsible self came back as she let the guards in red armor search her purse. When they found nothing, they let her go, and she realized that she needed to get Kylo out of her home as soon as possible. 

Every day he stayed, the more likely it was that Snoke would search her or figure out that it was her. Worse, he could come to her house. She hated the thought of Snoke taking him away just before he found his freedom. The bond they shared was amazing, but his freedom and life were more important. 

Based on the way Snoke was yelling at everyone in sight, all the fuse he had was now gone. Even Hux was avoiding him. He screamed at the smallest thing, from someone tripping to dropping a piece of paper. Mitaka received the brunt of it as the two men wrote up their findings on Kylo, wanting to finish it quickly and hide it. 

Rey didn’t understand the need to hide until later that day, when five government-issue black cars pulled in front of the lab. Numerous men in suits demanded entrance to the lab for an hour before Snoke finally allowed a nervous Hux to let them in. When the men in black left an hour later, both Snoke and Hux looked paler than Hux after peeling from a sunburn. Both were silent as the grave, and they dragged Mitaka into Snoke’s office near the end of the day. 

“I’m feeling nosy today. Want to snoop on their conversation?” asked Rose as the girls watched Mitaka trudge sadly up the stairs to Snoke’s office. 

Rey nodded, and they got to work sweeping and mopping the stairs. 

“Those were people connected to General Palpatine. They want answers we can’t give them,” said Hux, annoyed. “We need to find the asset, or else we’re all going to lose our jobs. This lab will cease to exist, and we’re going to be put in jail. They had the nerve to threaten us for something we didn't do.”

“What did they say, exactly?” asked Mitaka fearfully.

“They said if we couldn't find the murderer, then they would charge me with the crime. I could go to jail,” said Snoke stiffly.

Rose had to cover her gasp of excitement. Rey sniggered.

“I’m sorry to hear that. We’ll look harder,” said Mitaka, trying to get up. 

Snoke, however, stopped him, placing a bony hand on Mitaka’s shoulder. “We will. However, we should also work smarter, more effectively. We have forty-eight hours to find him.”

Rey’s eyes bugged out, and she knew that she would have to get Kylo to the canal before then. 

“That’s not much time at all,” said Mitaka, gulping. 

“No, it isn’t. However, I’ve had a lead,” said Snoke, grinning slightly.

Rey froze and paled. Rose leaned in closer. 

“That’s … good,” said Mitaka, eyes wide with fear. 

“It is. I’m going to explore it soon. However, I just wanted to verify your last paycheck: you will be going back to Naboo University, won’t you?”

“Yes. I’ll be teaching there. It’ll be my-”

“And you don’t plan to do  _ any  _ research at all in coordination with Resistance Labs when you go back?” asked Snoke. “I’m surprised you don’t. They could learn much from you of the asset.”

“They could since they have their marine lab right next to the water, yes-”

“And I’ve always wanted to visit the lab,” said Snoke, glancing at his gold rings. “I’m curious about what it researches. I’ve seen so many things stolen and published from that lab, that I rather wonder if they do anything original at all.”

“They do all original research!” shouted Mitaka hotly, standing up. Realizing how he appeared, he sat down and said more quietly, “As does the whole university. I take great pride in my place of work there and their integrity.”

“Even though they’re one of the least-funded universities around,” said Snoke, stepping closer. “All of their equipment is old.”

“They make it work. If you dislike it so much, why visit?” asked Mitaka, starting to get worried as Snoke circled him.

“Because I find it very fishy that I had multiple people come forward to work with me. As soon as you showed up, however, the rest vanished. Care to explain how that conveniently worked in your favor, besides the fact that all of them know the leader of Resistance Labs?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Mitaka, growing more pale. “I don’t even know who applied for the job. I thought you had hand-picked me.”

“Only because you were the only one,” shrugged Snoke. “Well, you may go now. I expect your full report - all copies of it - on my desk by the end of today.”

“Will do,” said Mitaka, getting up and disappearing faster than ice cream in Rey’s possession. 

The girls had ended up cleaning the chrome handrails until Mitaka rushed out of the office. They followed, both nervous about who the lead was.

“It’s probably Mitaka they suspect, not you,” comforted Rose as they changed. “He wouldn’t ask so many questions about a rival lab unless it was to instill fear in Mitaka since he scares so easily. Snoke probably wants him to get so scared that he reveals the location of the missing asset.”

Rey nodded, still not happy. The thought of losing Kylo ate at her until they left the locker room. At the entrance, Mitaka appeared with another circular box of green salt. 

“Snoke suspects something. Get this to Kylo, and make sure he’s released within the next forty-eight hours. If that doesn’t work, call this number,” he said, handing Rey a business card for Resistance Labs. “They will help. Please stay safe, and keep him safe as well.”

Rey held both his hands encouragingly as Rose said, “I’ll talk to Kaydel about it tomorrow when I go in for an interview.”

Mitaka’s face brightened. Turning to Rose, he said, “Excellent. I look forward to seeing you there at your new workplace within a few weeks. Good luck to both of you.”

He disappeared after that, calling Kaydel to arrange dinner away from their labs after work the next day. 

Meanwhile, in Snoke’s office, Hux reported to Snoke, “The next random search showed nothing. We still have two more searches underway.”

“Excellent. Let’s go back to the Green Room. We’re missing something,” said Snoke.

When they arrived, Snoke ordered, “Search the area thoroughly. Look for anything out of place or different from yesterday.”

As they looked, Hux asked, “Why did you ask Mitaka so many questions? You don’t really suspect that spineless worm, do you?”

“I have no choice. No one else had the opportunity or access like he did. Plus he works at that pesky university. I’ve heard nothing but glowing reports, which means that something is very wrong. Having no money should not make people happy. They’re probably out to steal the asset from us.”

“He has the brains, but he’s a terrible liar,” insisted Hux.

“If I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it, you insolent fool,” sneered Snoke. “There’s no one else who could have arranged it.”

“It could be those cleaners-”

“No, it’s not!” yelled Snoke, slapping Hux. “I’ve told you this multiple times, but you refuse to shut up about it. You’re fixated on-”

“It’s actually you who’s fixated on that mute woman-”

“Silence!” yelled Snoke, slapping Hux again, making Hux’s wig fly off from the force. “They’re both idiots. Beautiful, but stupid. Pick up your ridiculous wig and get out.”

Hux scurried to pick up his wig as Snoke opened a cabinet where the green salt was stored. 

“Wait. How many boxes did we have on the night of the asset’s disappearance?”

“Eight. Why?” sniffed a wounded Hux.

“Because, you idiot. Two boxes are missing. Here’s the proof we need of that oaf Mitaka’s involvement. We follow him tomorrow, and then we’ll beat it out of him. Order the guards to be ready to follow us.”

“Right away,” said Hux, needing a reason to escape and put his mushroom wig back on properly. He took pride in it, even if everyone criticized him. 

Snoke wore a sinister grin as he left, glad that he had a plan. It put him in a much better mood by the next day, and when Rey showed up at work alone, he barely noticed. He didn’t until Hux made a comment.

“I can’t believe the mute girl’s partner is sick. She looks absolutely crushed to be alone.”

“She does,” he agreed. “I think I’ll visit her.”

“She’s probably covering for the other while she gets rid of our asset-”

“Silence!” bellowed Snoke. “Go be useful as we prepare for tonight since neither of those searches were fruitful, adding more reason to me being right.”

Rey was shocked when Snoke popped up in the room she was cleaning. It made her unnaturally nervous. She didn’t want to be alone with him, and she felt bad that she hadn’t been able to convince Kylo to leave the night before. 

She had tried. She had shown him image after image of more of his kind and of the water, and still he showed no desire to leave. He stubbornly remained in the tub, wanting to stay with her. 

Perhaps what was most heart-wrenching was the fact that he didn’t want to go into the water unless she was with him. He kept showing them swimming underwater together, but she didn’t understand how he could make that happen. It put her in an awkward place, as she wanted him to be free and safe. She hoped that an alternative could be found, possibly her spending all her time with him at Resistance Labs. She didn’t see any other realistic solution, and she was getting desperate. She needed to get Kylo far away from her and Snoke, but he was being unreasonable.

Self-recrimination kept telling her that if she just hadn’t touched him, hadn’t had sex with him, then they wouldn’t be in such a situation. She dove in head first with her feelings for once, and now it was coming back to haunt her. Worse, Snoke was looking at her like she was his next meal, and she wanted to run away.

“Rey. This is a pleasant surprise. Alone, are we? I hope your friend is feeling better soon.”

Rey agreed until Snoke took hold of her face, leaning in. “It won’t be long now. I’m almost positive I’ve found out what I’m looking for. Once I’m in the clear there, we can begin our," he paused dramatically before smacking his lips, "amorous fling. Within twenty-four hours, I’ll have my answer.”

Rey nodded and smiled weakly until Snoke left, pleased with himself. Rey was equal parts disgusted and living in dread until she left work. Even then, she looked at the horizon, seeking a port in the storm, searching for the shore of peace where she somehow ended up with Kylo and avoided Snoke. All she did know was that she didn’t want to go back to work.

She didn’t know that it would be her last day working at First Order Sciences. Then again, neither did Rose, Snoke, Hux, nor Mitaka. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter, wooo!! Thanks for reading!


	12. The Shape of Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have reached the end of this fic! Thanks to everyone who has helped and been a part of making this fic come to life! And thanks to all who have been reading!

_ “Then the door was open, and the wind appeared. _

_ The candles blew and then disappeared. _

_ The curtains flew, and then he appeared. _

_ She had become like they are. _

_ She had taken his hand; _

_ She had become like they are. _

_ Come on baby … don't fear the reaper.” _

Mitaka was nervous. He had been shaking all through work that day because Snoke was eerily calm. He seemed _happy _that they hadn’t found Kylo yet, and he feared that he was next to be searched. His sweaty palms had trouble gripping the steering wheel as he drove to dinner in the pounding rain, and the normally soothing classical music he loved did nothing to calm him down. 

He had the sense that he was being watched, and he kept checking while he drove to dinner. However, no car seemed to tail him, so he finally attributed the paranoia to a guilty conscience since he had helped steal from his workplace. He had always prided himself on his integrity, but this was one occasion where he had gone against the rules. 

If Snoke were kinder and more humane, it would be a different story. However, Snoke was not, and Mitaka refused to do nothing. 

They met at a tiny diner. Kaydel hugged him warmly, but it did nothing to ease his nerves. None of her encouraging words helped by the end of the short dinner. 

“I thought you’d like to know that I saw Rose again today. I made her a job offer, and she accepted. I’m excited to work with her; thank you again for suggesting her,” said Kaydel as they got up from the table. 

“It’s my pleasure. You’ll work well together. Did she tell you anything about Kylo?”

“Only that he’s safe,” she said as they left the diner in the rain. 

Mitaka’s world went black. 

When he awoke, he was horrified to discover that he was tied to a chair behind the diner, and that Kaydel had been tied up as well. She was still unconscious and bleeding profusely. He looked around and paled when he saw three contractors from Praetorian Guards flanking Snoke and Hux. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Mitaka yelled.

“You have information I want, and I’m here to take it from you, Dopheld,” said Snoke, bringing up his cattle prod as lightning filled the sky.

Mitaka gulped, and Kaydel stirred groggily. “Doppie? What happened? And why are you bleeding?”

“You are, too!” he cried, wanting to go to her.

“Not yet, lovebirds. Not until you tell me where my asset is hidden,” said Snoke, moving in between them. “Either you tell me, or I’m going to beat it out of you. Take your pick. I heard you discussing him as you left. You both know.”

“I’d rather die than tell you!” shouted Kaydel, forcing the chair to jerk as she tried to stand up and failed. 

“Restrain her more. She’s feisty,” ordered Hux.

The guards tried, but Kaydel was faster. She kicked a heel off, hitting one of the guards’ groins. When he screamed in pain, she used him as a barrier to stand up and use the chair to hit the guards’ legs. Mitaka stared in pride before following suit. 

Snoke let them both get bloodied up and fight. When the guards were disabled, he pulled out a gun and aimed for Kaydel’s head. 

“If you want your girlfriend and partner in crime to live, I suggest you tell me where the asset is hiding. I’m not a patient man. I’m wanted for murder. I have no problem adding to that list.”

Mitaka shivered and glanced at his girlfriend. She now had multiple cuts and injuries, and he wasn’t any better. As Kaydel begged him to let her die, Hux approached and punched her until she was unconscious. Mitaka went for her until the gun was pointed at him. 

“I’m still waiting,” said Snoke, a new edge to his voice as thunder shook the ground. “You have until the count of three, and then I’m going to do to you what I did to Kylo day after day. I’m going to take turns electrocuting you and your girlfriend until you both die, and I’m going to enjoy  _ every single second.” _

The guards that had been on the ground before now stood up and surrounded him as Snoke made his way to Kaydel’s chest.

“You wouldn’t dare,” said Mitaka, hoping that some shred of humanity existed in Snoke.

There was none.

“Oh yes, I would,” said Snoke turning on the cattle prod and zapping Kaydel’s shoulder until she jerked backward and fell onto her back, unconscious. 

Snoke prepared to zap her again, this time over her heart, when Mitaka finally broke.

“Fine, you want to know? The help, Rose. She was instrumental in Kylo’s escape.”

“I knew it! I was right-”

“Shut up, Hux. Get in the car. We’re leaving now. You have her information, correct?”

Hux looked smug as he said, “Of course.” Rounding on the guards, he ordered, “Kill these two, and then follow us.”

As Hux and Snoke drove off, Mitaka clasped his hands together fearfully, trying to figure out how to save Kaydel, who was starting to stir. That was when he realized that the rope around his hands had gotten loose from all the movement, allowing him to move his hands freely. Inching toward the men, he waited until they were close to punch them, and Kaydel tripped them as they flew backward. Using the metal chairs to their advantage, the couple slammed into the guards repeatedly until they were knocked out cold. 

After an initial kiss and checking out of the other’s wounds, the pair hobbled to Kaydel’s car. She had a faster car, and she was the better driver. “Should we warn Rose and Rey?” asked Kaydel as they got in.

“Yes. Let’s go to the canal. I don’t know where either of them live, but that is where they’re dropping Kylo off.”

“Let’s go!”

\-------------------------------

Rose was cooking dinner when a frantic set of knocks sounded.

"I got it!" cried Paige, going to the front door. "Poe, will you set the table for dinner?"

"Sure thing, honey."

"Hi, I'm Paige - ahh!"

When something banged against the open door, Rose and Poe rushed over, Poe grabbing a steak knife on his way. Both froze when they saw Snoke holding a gun to Paige's head. Hux stepped forward, pointing a finger at Rose.

"You. Where is the asset?"

"I, I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Shut up," growled Snoke. "We just left that fool Mitaka on the side of the road bleeding. That will be you next if you don't tell us what you know."

"I know nothing-"

"That's not what he said," said Snoke, taking the safety off his gun. "Now, I'm going to give you until the count of three for you to tell me where the asset is. Otherwise, she's dead. One-"

"He's lying! He's just covering for himself-"

Poe took a small step forward.

"He knew he was about to die. He told us the truth," sneered Hux. "I always had my suspicions about you. You spent so much time in there."

"Two-"

"The sea monster is at Rey's apartment! Rose saw her run off with him," Poe yelled, going for Paige. "Now release my wife."

"Of course," said Snoke, throwing Paige to the ground, only for Hux to step on her hand, crushing it. "You've been very helpful. Consider yourself fired, Rose."

"I was already leaving your hellhole anyway. I got another job elsewhere," said Rose hotly, going forward to help her sister. "Good luck reaching him in time. He's probably past the canal by now and in the open sea."

Hux went for her neck, but Poe punched his jaw, sending him flying backwards. "We gave you what you wanted. Get out."

"She's not worth your anger," said Snoke, taking hold of Hux's shoulder. "Save it for Rey. We'll give her proper recourse for stealing."

"She is a good person-"

"Silence!" yelled Snoke, aiming and firing at Rose. 

She couldn't dodge the bullet completely, but she did manage to move enough to only have the bullet graze her arm. Snoke and Hux ran out before someone called the cops. As soon as they were gone, Rose tackled Poe to the floor before punching him in the mouth.

"Why did you tell him?"

"He had a gun!" scoffed Poe. "Of course I'm going to protect her against your stupidity!"

"That was one of the most satisfying things I ever did, and I'd do it again," said Rose before remembering Rey. She rushed off to a phone to make calls.

\-----------------

When Rey arrived home, she had expected to hear music. When she didn't, she rushed inside, only to find Finn drawing Kylo. Something was odd about Finn … she couldn't place her finger on it, but something was different. His guitar was resting against a wall on some towels, and he seemed at ease with Kylo.

"Rey, welcome back! The strangest thing happened today," said Finn, waving her forward to look at his arm.

As she drew closer, she realized that his bandage was loose. 

When she moved the bandage from side to side in confusion, Finn smiled and turned to face her. "Oh! I heard from Maz's nurses today; she's doing well. I changed my bandage after that, and when I checked on it, that deep wound Kylo gave me was gone! Look at it!"

He removed the bandage, and Rey was shocked to discover perfectly healed, normal skin where it had been a gash previously. 

"But you know what's even more amazing? My hair's growing back faster than ever before," said Finn in awe, touching his now shoulder-length hair. "I'm going to have my dreads back in no time."

Rey's eyes widened as she took in his hair. It couldn't have been more than a week since he had cut his hair and gotten injured.

"How did these things happen?" signed Rey, grimacing at the thought of Finn’s dreads.

Finn laughed. "Right before I left your apartment that night he injured me, Kylo placed his hands on me, and he glowed. I think he healed me because he felt bad. It's the only thing that makes sense."

She agreed before sitting on the tub's ledge and leaning over to kiss Kylo. He pulled her into his lap, soaking her clothes as she let him place her within his protective arms.

It was as she was snuggling in that the phone rang. Both Finn and Rey hurried out, not expecting anything but bad news.

It was far worse.

"Rey, it's Rose. Are you there? Make a noise if you can hear me."

Rey tapped the phone with her nail before Finn said, "We're both here, and we can hear you, Rose. What's wrong?"

"Snoke tortured Mitaka for information, and he gave the reaper my name. He held a gun to Paige's head until Poe told them to find you. Get him out to the canal. Now. Snoke's coming for you."

Rey dropped the phone in her shock, and Finn thanked her for the information before hanging up. "I know you wanted more time with him, Rey, but I don't think we have a choice now. I'll get the van and meet you out front. I'll be your getaway car one more time," said Finn, giving her a hug. "I promise I learned how to speed from Rose."

Rey laughed before thanking him. As Finn ran outside, Rey drew up the mental strength to tell Kylo the bad news and force herself to leave him. His life was in danger, and she was far more stubborn than him. Making a plan, she headed into the bathroom, where Kylo had stood in worry upon feeling her fear and concern.

She gave him a kiss and held his face as she showed him the canal once more. She showed him how it was raining and filling it until the water overflowed, allowing him to escape to the ocean. He shook his head. She showed Snoke coming for him and killing them both; he growled and placed his arms around her, trying to pull her into the tub.

Rey had expected this. He was so insistent upon leaving with her that she saw no other way but to lie to him. While his ability to heal Finn's injury proved he could perform small miracles, she doubted he could make her like him. So she faked it.

She showed him one of her dreams, modified. They held hands and dove into the canal together, and when she came up for air, she had gills of her own, just as he had imagined. 

It worked too well. Kylo grinned and kissed her before making the sign for love. Never had Rey's heart hurt so much, seeing his love and knowing it couldn't be. Nonetheless, she responded in kind, stayed strong, and showed him the way to the van, both becoming soaked all over again from the pouring rain. If she stayed in his arms and never stopped touching him until they got to the canal, then Finn said nothing, knowing they needed their last few moments alone. 

When they got out of the van, Finn hugged Kylo tightly, wishing him well. Rey stood at the edge of the canal, watching the wind and rain turn the normally peaceful strip of water into a raging torrent of white caps and endless, dark depths. She grew more afraid and unable to say goodbye by the second, her heart and mind conflicted. She continued warring with herself until Kylo slid his arms around her waist, calming her weary mind. He leaned his forehead against one side of her neck, and another webbed hand found its way to the other side of her neck. For a second, she saw their future, them swimming together. Just the shape of it, but solid and clear. She saw it take shape within the deep, blue depths, and she yearned that it could be true. 

Kylo nudged her forward, and she balked. She moved aside, encouraging him to go first. He refused, taking her hand. 

Again, he told her that he loved her, and she responded in kind, tears coming to her eyes. He wiped her tears, asking why she cried, and she showed him images of Snoke once more. She showed him just how afraid she was, and he vibrated in place, taking a betrayed step back. As he made the sign for together forever, even replaying the words for her, she shook her head no and took a step back, still facing him. 

Seeing images of Snoke filled her with new resolution; she would save him or die trying. Before meeting him, she had been afraid to die; now she would happily die for him. This was the man she wanted to give it all up for as she set aside her happiness and used her hands to push him forward without her. 

He wouldn't budge. 

That was when Rey heard something large and heavy drop to the ground. 

A second later, gunshots rang out, and Rey watched in horror as three gunshots in succession ran through her body and into Kylo's chest. As the full realization of what had happened hit her, she twisted her head to see Snoke glaring at her. Hux was beside him, grinning smugly. 

Kylo dropped to the ground, and Rey felt herself falling into a faint. As she fell down, she cursed Snoke as a murderous snake and then hit her head hard. She saw Finn lying on the ground, unconscious, and she cursed herself for not having the strength to let go of Kylo sooner. Reaching out a feeble hand, Rey turned to face Kylo and intertwined her fingers with Kylo's as much as she could. If she was going to die, at least she would get to see him one last time. At least they would die together.

\-----------------

Finn woke up quickly from the whack he had received on the back of his head from Snoke's gun. Pissed, he looked around and saw two men shaking hands gleefully. He quickly identified that a two by four was lying on the ground, and he picked up the piece of wood quietly and stalked over to the pair.

"Ah, Rey. Why did you have to betray me? I could have made you famous, not dead," said the wrinkled, old raisin Finn assumed was Snoke. "It's a pity, but pretty, innocent girls are a dime a dozen."

"She was insignificant," said a guy with soggy, red hair flapping around his face as he took the gun. "She was always scum, a lesser being because of her deformity."

"Hey!" yelled Finn as he swung the wooden plank 

Both men turned around, and the redhead was knocked to the ground, unconscious. The other, older man received a nasty gash across his bald head and fell to the ground as Finn continued, "That's my best friend. She's not scum; she's a rebel."

Finn ran to Rey when both men seemed incapacitated. He picked up Rey's lifeless torso and sobbed into her chest.

"Please, Rey, don't die. Please come back."

In the background, the police and ambulance sirens wailed, and Finn looked up briefly to see if they were close, if they could help Rey. 

That was when he saw Kylo. Kylo's head looked around and saw that Rey's hand was clasping his. Kylo started to glow red one last time as he carefully laid Rey's hand in her lap. Finn watched in astonishment as his entire body radiated red, the bullet holes in his body closing by themselves in a matter of seconds. 

Kylo stood up, determined to finish what he had started earlier with General Palpatine. All of his claws sharpened as the fins along his back lengthened and widened, as though arming himself for battle. Finn watched open-mouthed as Kylo took one hulking step after another toward Snoke, who had stood up again. 

Snoke was looking for his second gun when he heard someone in front of him. Glancing up, his jaw dropped when he saw Kylo. Cursing quietly, he said more loudly. "You  _ are  _ a god."

With one savage swipe of his right arm, Kylo's claws slit Snoke's throat. As blood spurted out, Snoke dropped to the ground one last time, coughing and gasping before dying. 

Hux chose that moment to wake up. When he noticed Snoke dead, he whimpered and put his hands in the air in surrender. For that, he was spared; at least until the cops came and arrested him for murder and assault.

When the emergency sirens became deafening, Kylo walked away, ready to save whom he loved. Walking up to Finn, he put out his arms and pointed to the canal, indicating that he was taking Rey into the water with him. Finn allowed Kylo to take Rey's blood-covered body, hoping that whatever Kylo had done for him could help Rey as well. Carrying Rey bridal-style to the edge of the canal, Kylo dove into the water.

"Finn? Where's Rey?" asked Rose as she ran forward, Mitaka and Kaydel not far behind. "I came as soon as I could with backup."

"She's safe now; she's with Kylo, as she was always meant to be," said a calm Finn. Pointing at the waves caused by the dive, he said, "Look."

Together, the four watched something few humans would ever witness: the final stage of claiming a mate among Kylo's kind. A bright circle of purple light emanated from the stormy seas, the light steadily growing in intensity and size.

Then, there was nothing. That was the moment both Finn and Rose knew instinctively that Rey was alive. Mitaka and Kaydel wondered at the scientific marvel.

They could leave the canal at peace, and so they did, arm-in-arm and wearing smiles. This was not a sad time; this was a time of great rejoicing. 

Rey had finally found her belonging, her home. 

Had the four been underwater, they would have seen Kylo swim up to Rey’s slowly sinking body. Resting his forehead against hers, he laid his hands on either side of her neck, over the cuts that had turned to scars. 

Now, he could  _ finally _ do what he had been longing to do ever since he had first seen her scars. He was going to choose her, forsaking all others for her and only her. 

Closing his eyes, he kissed her and began to glow. Because of his selfless act of love in choosing to revive and change her, weakening himself in the process, he lost his angry, red glow and joined with her innate, blue color so that they could glow something new together: purple.

When the healing was complete, he removed himself from her body and waited, his body sluggish. One minute passed, then two. 

Suddenly, Rey's eyes opened, and coughed a slug of bubbles out of her mouth. The cuts on the side of her neck opened up like flaps and became gills, and her shoes were broken in half as wider feet with webbing appeared, her hands developing similar webbing. Her skin was leathery and dark like Kylo's, and she was taller.

As Rey blinked and took in her surroundings, she saw what she had become, and she began to glow all on her own. As she took in the purple color flowing out from her veins, she swam excitedly to Kylo, their palms meeting. After a moment where both glowed in harmony and their bond opened wider than ever before as they shared themselves in gratitude and love, hands found the rest of their mate's body, and lips met with newfound joy. When they broke apart, both looked upon the other in awe before hands went flying.

_ I love you _ .

That was all either needed before Rey took Kylo's hand, eager to leave the canal and explore the world, side-by-side. 

\----------------

Rose could never be sure, but she was almost positive she was being watched again. She shook the feeling off as Finn came toward her, Mitaka and Kaydel not far behind. 

"Doctor Tico!" saluted Finn before pulling his fiance into a kiss.

"I'm not a doctor yet. I'm still finishing my undergraduate degree, dummy," said Rose, ruffling Finn's dreadlocks. 

"But time will fly, and before you know it, you'll be graduating from Naboo University with your PhD in marine biology," said Kaydel proudly.

"Doctor Mitaka, if I come close to being half as supportive as you have been on this journey with me, then I'll be happy," said Rose. 

"You will. You'll see," said Kaydel. "You seemed troubled a moment ago. Why?"

"I know," said her new husband. "Today's the two year anniversary since Rey and Kylo freed themselves."

All became quiet as Finn pulled out a bag with champagne glasses and wine. "That's why I brought this: somewhere out there, those two are happy together."

"Do you think they ever wonder about us the way we worry about them?" asked Rose, looking glumly at the sea.

"Yes, I'm sure they do. I know Rey well, just like you do," said Finn, putting an arm around Rose and looking out at the water. "I bet they come check on us from time to time in between all their adventures at sea."

"I like that. Let's drink to that," said Rose, taking her glass. "To new adventures!"

If Rey and Kylo were there to witness those festivities, they didn't show themselves, just as when the four had celebrated First Order Sciences being shut down, and when Hux with his peach fuzz hair was sentenced to life in prison for murder and many other crimes. Even when Rose graduated with her PhD, and Finn made it big in the music world, a splash of water was the only hint.

All their lives were different now. No longer did they fear their work, their future, or even death. There was only the hope and joy of love, ever expanding and filling their lives, just like the shape of water. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again!! I hope you enjoyed the ending and the story!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I plan to update this story daily until it's done.


End file.
